holistic
hoh-LISS-tik
/hoʊˈlɪs.tɪk/
Characterized by the belief that the parts of something are intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.
In education, refers to evaluating or developing a person's complete self—intellectual, physical, emotional, and ethical—rather than isolated test scores.
The story behind the word. Coined in 1926 by South African statesman and philosopher Jan Smuts in his book 'Holism and Evolution'. He derived it from Greek 'holos' (whole) to describe nature's tendency to form whole entities that are greater than the simple sum of their parts.
Word relationships
- comprehensive: 'Comprehensive' means complete or wide-ranging, whereas 'holistic' emphasizes the organic unity and interdependence of the internal elements.
- atomistic: Treating things as separated, isolated, independent fragments rather than an integrated whole.
Commonly confused with
- wholistic: 'Wholistic' is a variant spelling created by back-formation, but 'holistic' remains the standard spelling in academic, medical, and administrative prose.
Word family
- holistically (adverb): In a manner that considers the complete system or whole person.
- holism (noun): The theory that whole entities have an existence greater than the sum of their parts.
Collocations
- holistic approach
- holistic development
- holistic review
- holistic education
Example sentences
- "The university adopts a holistic admissions review, balancing test scores with leadership, character, and personal essays." Admissions Review Context
- "Holistic education views the learner not as a vessel for facts, but as a complex person with mind, body, and spirit." Educational Theory Citation
Memory hook
HOListic cares for the WHOLE person. Focus on the complete whole.
When not to use
Do not use as a generic synonym for 'big' or 'popular'; it must involve treating interdependent parts as an integrated whole.
Fun facts
- Jan Smuts, who invented the word 'holism', was also a military general and helped draft the preamble to the United Nations Charter.
Related words
Explore more words
integrated, systemic, interconnectedness, interdependent, complementary, symbiotic
Also appears in
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