全体
Meanings
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', adverb
The ordinary modern sense: the whole of something, or something considered as a whole. Common as a noun, before の, and in adverbial phrases such as 全体として.
Let's review the whole plan once more.
The entire building shook violently.
Overall, the results are not bad.
to begin with; in the first place
A sentence adverb used to step back to the basic premise of an argument. This use is old-fashioned or literary; in ordinary modern speech, そもそも is more common.
To begin with, this proposal has no budgetary backing.
what on earth; why in the world; the heck
An emphatic adverb used with questions, similar to 一体 or 一体全体. As standalone 全体 in this role, it sounds old-fashioned, literary, or somewhat theatrical in modern Japanese.
See also: 一体全体 (いったいぜんたい)
What on earth are you doing?
Who in the world said such a thing?
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉全体the whole of X; X as a whole
The company as a whole introduced a new policy.
- 〈物〉全体に広がるto spread throughout the whole of X
The news spread throughout the whole country.