whole food

noun

: a natural food and especially an unprocessed one (such as a vegetable or fruit)

Examples of whole food in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If the rest of your diet is built around mostly whole foods, a higher-sodium rotisserie chicken may still fit comfortably into your day. — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 15 Aug. 2026 Eating more whole foods can support weight, blood sugar, and heart health, but overly restrictive versions may have downsides. — Lindsey Desoto, HEALTH, 4 Aug. 2026 Most experts recommend getting omega-3s from food rather than supplements because whole foods provide extra nutrients and carry fewer potential risks. — Lauren Manaker Ms, Health, 31 July 2026 This can include stress reduction like yoga or meditation, fitness classes, exercising, prioritizing a whole foods based diet, massage, reiki, counseling, and acupuncture. — Nicole Pajer, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for whole food

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whole food was in 1880

Rhymes for whole food

See All Rhymes for whole food

Browse Nearby Words

whole deal
whole food
whole-footed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whole food.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whole%20food. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

whole food

noun
: a natural food and especially an unprocessed one (as a vegetable or fruit)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All