"upon the whole" meaning in English

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
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      "expansion": "upon the whole (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adv"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "on the whole"
        }
      ],
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          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
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          "ref": "1736 June 3, Thomas Sheridan, letter to Jonathan Swift:",
          "text": "My son writes me word that Mr. Vesey's family are angry with me for inserting some lines in the Legion Club touching him. Upon my soul, I never inserted one line in it; and upon the whole, I care not whether they believe me or not.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "a. 1776, Joseph Baretti, “Dialogue the Fortieth”, in Easy Phraseology for the Use of Those Persons Who Intend to Learn the Colloquial Part of the Italian Language, 1835 edition, Turin: Joseph Bocca, page 222:",
          "text": "With respect to my health, I may say that upon the whole it has been pretty good.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "c. 1800, Joseph Huddart, Captain Huddart's Report, page 2:",
          "text": "[…] but, upon the whole, it is my opinion, that the sands will continue to increase, […]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Dated form of on the whole."
      ],
      "id": "en-upon_the_whole-en-adv-2Iftd-AD",
      "links": [
        [
          "on the whole",
          "on the whole#English"
        ]
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      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
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    }
  ],
  "word": "upon the whole"
}

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "upon the whole (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adv"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
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        {
          "word": "on the whole"
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        {
          "ref": "1736 June 3, Thomas Sheridan, letter to Jonathan Swift:",
          "text": "My son writes me word that Mr. Vesey's family are angry with me for inserting some lines in the Legion Club touching him. Upon my soul, I never inserted one line in it; and upon the whole, I care not whether they believe me or not.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "a. 1776, Joseph Baretti, “Dialogue the Fortieth”, in Easy Phraseology for the Use of Those Persons Who Intend to Learn the Colloquial Part of the Italian Language, 1835 edition, Turin: Joseph Bocca, page 222:",
          "text": "With respect to my health, I may say that upon the whole it has been pretty good.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "c. 1800, Joseph Huddart, Captain Huddart's Report, page 2:",
          "text": "[…] but, upon the whole, it is my opinion, that the sands will continue to increase, […]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Dated form of on the whole."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "on the whole",
          "on the whole#English"
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  "word": "upon the whole"
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