Aureli Sánchez
Wholesome Yesterday, I learned a new word. It's an adjective and this word is wholesome. I think that it is a complete synonym of healthy. Can I swap these words in a sentence in any context? Is one of these words more formal?
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الإجابات · 5
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Nice words. "Healthy" is more general, having the same meaning as "wholesome" but with the additional meaning of "being in good health." Wholesome is more specific, referring to something that is pure, natural and promotes good health. Synonyms of "wholesome" would be (depending on context) "nutritious," "hygienic," "clean," etc. "Wholesome" can often refer to mental or spiritual hygiene (so could "healthy"). Note that both "healthy" and "wholesome" come from the same root in Old English, the silent "w" was added without any etymological justification whatsoever, probably to distinguish it from "hole." Welcome to crazy English spelling conventions!
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Thank you Jim.
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Note that "healthy" should be confused with "healthful". "healthful" means something that creates good health (fruit, not soda). "healthy" means someone/something that is in good health. It seems that in American English, "healthful" is so rarely used, perhaps because it sounds too much like "helpful".
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