Wholistic vs. Holistic

Wholistic emphasizes the organic or functional relation between parts and the whole. Wholistic refers to a philosophy of life.

Holistic is the philosophy that all parts of a thing are interconnected. In medicine, holistic treatment is the treatment of a person as a whole, mind, body and social factors. Related words are holism and holistically. The word holistic is first seen in 1926, holistic medicine appears in 1960. Wholistic and holistic are words that are interchangeable, though holistic is used more often when referring to holistic medicine and wholistic when referring to a philosophy of life.