1.
whole, entirety, overall
The complete thing considered as a unit.
2.
generally, on the whole
Used adverbially to mean 'in general' or 'overall'.
全体 refers to the entirety of something viewed as a single unit. It can function as a noun or as an adverbial modifier.
Common patterns
- Noun: 計画の全体 (the entire plan)
- Suffix: 会社全体 (the whole company), 社会全体 (society as a whole)
- Adverbial: 全体的に (overall, generally), 全体として (on the whole)
Common collocations
Similar words
- 全部: all, everything (focuses on totality of individual items)
- 全体: the whole (focuses on the unified entity)
Common expressions
一体全体 — emphatic in questions: "just what/who/why on earth..."
Related Words
Antonym:
部分 (part)
Compare:
全部 (all, everything)
Compare:
総数 (total number)
Compare:
全貌 (full picture)
Compare:
大局 (overall situation)
Compare:
全面 (the whole surface)
Compare:
全数 (total number)