difference between whole and entire

whole - (whole implies an undivided thing, not a sum of parts)You would say a whole loaf of bread or a whole person, since these are single objects not usually considered a collection of parts. 
entire - ("Entire" comes from "complete", and means no part has been left out.)when you are talking about collections of objects; the entire lot of cars, or the entire staff, since these are collections of distinct objects.

What is the difference between whole and entire

• "Whole" comes from "unhurt", and means a single object that has not been subdivided. 
  
  "Entire" comes from "complete", and means no part has been left out. 
  
  They are different when you are talking about collections of objects; the entire lot of cars, or the entire staff, since these are collections of distinct objects. You would say a whole loaf of bread or a whole person, since these are single objects not usually considered a collection of parts. 
  
  The expression "whole life" considers one's life to be a single unit that has not been subdivided. An "entire life" means all the parts (years? experiences?) of a life. In this case either could be used.

• whole implies an undivided thing, not a sum of parts. Entire means totality. there is a large crossover in meaning and use between the two. Most people would say "I ate the whole pie", even if they ate it in parts, several pieces over the course of the day. If they wanted to say that they sat down and ate the complete pie in one sitting, they would usually actually say "I ate the entire pie", which seems odd given that whole means not in parts, and entire means in totality. 
  
  Basically, the two words are very similar, but used in slightly different circumstances, with much overlap (either may be used in most situations).

(Hi all! I often have to choose between "whole" and "entire"... can anyone give me a hint about the real differences (if any) between the two terms?)

• I cannot think of any example where the use of "entire" (which has the same root as the word "integer") would be grammatically incorrect, but there are cases where "whole" sounds more natural and, perhaps, less pretentious. Over all, "whole" is used more commonly, especially by the younger generation.

• I'd also say that, though they have similar meanings, "whole" is a little less formal and a bit more common than "entire".

•  there is little difference between "whole" and "entire" which are listed as synonyms in dictionaries. The one clear difference that I am aware of is that "entire" has a corresponding name, "entirety," which is used quite commonly:
  
  I read the book in its entirety = I read the entire/whole book.

What is the difference between "entire" and "whole"?

• They are perfect synonyms when they are both adjectives and mean "complete, total" as learner mentioned before.
  However they have some specific definitions and expression modes where they couldn't be interchangeable such as:
  
  Entire:
  - "entire" could mean * not broken or damaged ,intact* .In that sense it is not a synonym of "whole".
  - "entire" means also an animal or any being that is not castrated and sexually competent as in "an entire horse" ,that couldn't be substituted for "whole horse".
  - "entire" could be an adjective as well as a noun ,but as a noun it is a less common word for "entirety" as in " an entire" which refers to an uncastrated adult male horse. 
  
  Whole:
  - When you say "whole number" it means having no fractional or decimal part; integral. You can't say "entire number" instead.
  - It could also mean of, relating to, or designating a relationship established by descent from the same parents; full as in "whole brothers" ,they are not called "entire brothers".
  - "whole" could be an adjective as well as an adverb or a noun as in
  the expression " as a whole" , here it is not interchangeable with "entire".
  - "whole " refers as well to being restored to vigorous good health ("Whole in mind and body"). 

• They are synonyms (used when you are emphasizing that the whole of something is involved) including everything, everyone and every part. 
  They are both adjectives used only before a singular noun and they mean 'complete' or 'full': 
  This whole idea is crazy = This entire idea is crazy. 
  She told the whole truth = She told the entire truth. 
  We spent the whole / the entire / all day on the beach.