Main entry: holism, holistic theory
Definition: the theory that the parts of any whole cannot exist and cannot be understood except in their relation to the whole
Usage: 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
Antonyms: atomic theory, atomism, atomist theory, atomistic theory
Definition: (chemistry) any theory in which all matter is composed of tiny discrete finite indivisible indestructible particles