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idiom

the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

the HOHL iz GRAY-ter than the SUM uv its PARTS

ðə hoʊl ɪz ˈɡreɪtər ðæn ðə sʌm əv ɪts pɑːrts

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Syllable breakdown

thewholeisgreaterthanthesumofitsparts

Dictionary meaning

when elements are combined and organised into a coherent system or community, the result possesses properties, capabilities, or value that exceed what the individual elements could achieve separately; the principle, attributed to Aristotle, is foundational to systems thinking, teamwork philosophy, and the study of complex adaptive systems; it is used to argue that collaboration and integration produce emergent outcomes that individualism or the mere aggregation of separate efforts cannot

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