Title: Holistic | Definition of Holistic at Dictionary.com
Headings: holistic
holistic
adjective
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Origin of holistic
OTHER WORDS FROM holistic
Words nearby holistic
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What does holistic mean?
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British Dictionary definitions for holistic
holistic
adjective
of or relating to a doctrine of holism
Derived forms of holistic

Content: hol (ism) + -istic
OTHER WORDS FROM holistic
ho·lis·ti·cal·ly, adverb
Words nearby holistic
holier-than-thou, holily, holiness, Holinshed, holism, holistic, holistically, holistic medicine, Holkar State, Holkham Hall, holla
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
VOCAB BUILDER
What does holistic mean? Holistic is an adjective that describes things related to the idea that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. In other words, that the entirety of something must be considered instead of just considering its parts. This philosophy is called holism, and that’s where the word holistic comes from. Holistic can be used generally to describe approaches that incorporate elements of holism, but it is especially used in the contexts of psychology and alternative medicine. Example: Chiropractors often take a holistic approach to treating injuries by considering the entire body instead of just the affected area. Where does holistic come from? Holism was coined by Jan Christian Smuts in his 1926 book Holism and Evolution (Smuts completed the work between serving terms as prime minister of South Africa). The first part of the word, hol, refers to “whole,” and the suffix -ism means “principle” or “doctrine.”