Prefix · whole · complete
Means "whole" or "complete": hologram, holistic, holography, holocaust, Holocene.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Holo- comes from Greek "holos" (whole, entire, complete) and appears in advanced science and philosophy alike. Hologram = a complete three-dimensional image (holo- + gramma); holistic = considering the whole, not only the parts; holocaust = total destruction (holo- + kaustos = burned); holography = the technique for creating holograms; Holocene = current geological epoch ("entirely recent"). The Spanish equivalent is the same prefix: holo-.
Holo- spans very different contexts: in physics, holography creates complete 3D images using laser light; in medicine and wellness, holistic describes an approach that treats the patient as a whole (mind, body, spirit), not just symptoms; in technology, holodeck and hologram are science-fiction concepts that are fast becoming reality. The term "holístico" is increasingly popular in Spanish-speaking medical and wellness communities.
Combines with Greek roots to express wholeness or completeness:
Pronunciation: /ˈhoʊ.loʊ/. Spanish uses the same prefix: holograma (hologram), holografía (holography), holístico (holistic), holocausto (holocaust), Holoceno (Holocene).
holo-/ˈhoʊ.loʊ/
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"Holistic" (holo- = whole + -istic): treating the complete system rather than its individual parts. Used in medicine, education, and philosophy. "Wholesome" comes from Old English "hal" (healthy) and means healthy, virtuous, or morally uplifting. They share distant roots but mean very different things in context.
A trick to remember it
Holo- = whole, complete. Same prefix in Spanish: holograma (hologram), holografía (holography), holístico (holistic), holocausto (holocaust), Holoceno (Holocene). A hologram is literally a "complete recording" of all the light-field information in an image.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Why is it called a "hologram" and not simply a "3D image"?
The prefix holo- means "whole" or "complete": hologram, holistic, holography, holocaust, Holocene. In Spanish it usually maps to holo-.
The prefix holo- is pronounced /ˈhoʊ.loʊ/. For example, "hologram".
"gram" becomes "hologram". It is a typical example of the holo- prefix.
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