Used to give a general summary or overall impression after considering all the details.
“On the whole, residents have responded positively to the new recycling program.”
“On the whole, the renovation project stayed within budget despite a few delays.”
In Part 3 articles, 'on the whole' often appears in concluding paragraphs that summarize an overall opinion or result after a list of specific details. This makes it a useful clue for identifying the paragraph containing an overall conclusion, which Part 3 questions frequently target.
Synonyms: overall, generally speaking, all things considered