wholly
UK: ˈhəʊlli | US: ˈhoʊlli
adv. completely or entirely
adv. without exception; exclusively
The word "wholly" derives from the Old English "hāl" (meaning "whole" or "healthy"), combined with the adverbial suffix "-ly," which transforms adjectives into adverbs. Over time, "whole" evolved to signify completeness, and the addition of "-ly" emphasized the manner of being complete or undivided. The spelling shift from "hāl" to "whole" reflects Middle English phonetic changes, while the suffix "-ly" has consistently marked adverbial forms since Old English.
She was wholly unaware of the surprise party planned for her.
The project was wholly funded by private donations.
His attention was wholly focused on solving the puzzle.
The statement is wholly untrue and misleading.
They wholly rejected the proposal without further discussion.