'holism' definitions:

Definition of 'holism'

From: WordNet
noun
The theory that the parts of any whole cannot exist and cannot be understood except in their relation to the whole; "holism holds that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts"; "holistic theory has been applied to ecology and language and mental states" [syn: holism, holistic theory] [ant: atomic theory, atomism, atomist theory, atomistic theory]