wholesome

== English == === Etymology === From earlier holesome, from Middle English holsom, holsum, helsum, halsum, from Old English *hālsum, *hǣlsum, from Proto-West Germanic *hailasam, from Proto-Germanic *hailasamaz, equivalent to whole +‎ -some or hale (“healthy”) +‎ -some. Cognate with Saterland Frisian heelsoam, Dutch heilzaam, German Low German heelsaam, German heilsam, Icelandic heilsamur, Norwegian Nynorsk helsesam, Swedish hälsosam (“wholesome”). === Pronunciation === (General American) IPA(key): /ˈhoʊl.səm/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈhəʊl.səm/ Rhymes: -əʊlsəm Hyphenation: whole‧some === Adjective === wholesome (comparative more wholesome or wholesomer, superlative most wholesome or wholesomest) Promoting good physical health and well-being. Promoting moral and mental well-being. Favorable to morals, religion or prosperity; sensible; conducive to good; salutary; promoting virtue or being virtuous. Marked by wholeness; sound and healthy. Decent; innocuous; sweet. ==== Alternative forms ==== holesom, holesome, wholsom, wholsome (obsolete) ==== Synonyms ==== (promoting health): healthy, healthful, salubrious ==== Antonyms ==== unwholesome ==== Derived terms ==== wholesomely wholesomeness ==== Translations ==== === References === William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “wholesome”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “wholesome”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.