system

American  

[sis-tuhm] / ˈsɪs təm /

noun

• systems
  plural

1. an assemblage or combination of things or parts forming a complex or unitary whole.

   a mountain system; a railroad system.

   Synonyms:

   unit

2. any assemblage or set of correlated members.

   a system of currency; a system of shorthand characters.

3. an ordered and comprehensive assemblage of facts, principles, doctrines, or the like in a particular field of knowledge or thought.

   a system of philosophy.

4. a coordinated body of methods or a scheme or plan of procedure; organizational scheme.

   a system of government.

5. any formulated, regular, or special method or plan of procedure.

   a system of marking, numbering, or measuring; a winning system at bridge.

6. due method or orderly manner of arrangement or procedure.

   There is no system in his work.

7. the world or universe.

   Synonyms:

   cosmos

8. Astronomy.

   1. a number of heavenly bodies associated and acting together according to certain natural laws.

      the solar system.

   2. a hypothesis or theory of the disposition and arrangements of the heavenly bodies by which their phenomena, motions, changes, etc., are explained.

      the Ptolemaic system; the Copernican system.

9. Biology.

   1. an assemblage of organs or related tissues concerned with the same function.

      the nervous system; the digestive system.

   2. the entire human or animal body considered as a functioning unit.

      an ingredient toxic to the system.

10. one's psychological makeup, especially with reference to desires or preoccupations.

    to get something out of one's system.

11. a method or scheme of classification.

    the Linnean system of plants.

12. Usually the system the prevailing structure or organization of society, business, or politics or of society in general; establishment.

    to work within the system instead of trying to change it.

13. Geology. a major division of rocks comprising sedimentary deposits and igneous masses formed during a single geologic period.

14. Physical Chemistry. a combination of two or more phases, as a binary system, each of which consists of one or more substances, that is attaining or is in equilibrium.

15. Computers. a working combination of hardware, software, and data communications devices.

16. Checkers. either of the two groups of 16 playing squares on four alternate columns.

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system British  

/ ˈsɪstəm /

noun

1. a group or combination of interrelated, interdependent, or interacting elements forming a collective entity; a methodical or coordinated assemblage of parts, facts, concepts, etc

   a system of currency

   the Copernican system

2. any scheme of classification or arrangement

   a chronological system

3. a network of communications, transportation, or distribution

4. a method or complex of methods

   he has a perfect system at roulette

5. orderliness; an ordered manner

6. (often capital) society seen as an environment exploiting, restricting, and repressing individuals

7. an organism considered as a functioning entity

8. any of various bodily parts or structures that are anatomically or physiologically related

   the digestive system

9. one's physiological or psychological constitution

   get it out of your system

10. any assembly of electronic, electrical, or mechanical components with interdependent functions, usually forming a self-contained unit

    a brake system

11. a group of celestial bodies that are associated as a result of natural laws, esp gravitational attraction

    the solar system

12. chem a sample of matter in which there are one or more substances in one or more phases See also phase rule

13. a point of view or doctrine used to interpret a branch of knowledge

14. Also called: crystal system.  mineralogy one of a group of divisions into which crystals may be placed on the basis of the lengths and inclinations of their axes

15. geology a stratigraphical unit for the rock strata formed during a period of geological time. It can be subdivided into series

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system Cultural  

1. A group of bodily organs that have similar structures or work together to perform some function, such as the digestive system, nervous system, and respiratory system.

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system Idioms  

1. see all systems go; out of one's system.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• supersystem
  noun
• intersystem
  adjective
• systemless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• systems
  plural

Etymology

Origin of system

First recorded in 1610–20; from Late Latin systēma, from Greek sýstēma whole compounded of several parts, equivalent to sy- “”with, together” + stē- (variant stem of histánai “to cause to stand”; akin to Latin stāre “to stand” ) + -ma noun suffix denoting result of action; see sy-, stand

Explanation

A system is a group of things that connect and form some kind of coherent whole. All the individual buses and the separate routes they take through your city are together called a bus system. Any time various separate things act together in some organized way, you can call the entire group of interconnected things a system. Your veins, arteries, and heart together make up your body's circulatory system, and the group of planets which rotate around the sun are called a solar system. The Greek word systema, or "organized whole," is where system originates.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

system systems

His calls included asking the prime minister to scrap the business rates system.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

They say vaccines today are more precise and stimulate the immune system with fewer antigens than vaccines in the past while protecting against more diseases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

At oral arguments earlier this year, lawyers for the state’s court system urged the justices to green-light electronic recording, saying they’d already done everything in their power to fix the problem.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

“A trigger really turns on a system in the body that has learned a lot through trauma,” she says.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

He had scrimped and saved enough money to build a home for elderly Jews in Hilversum—for the elderly of all faiths, in fact, for Willem was against any system of segregation.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

But the discovery has raised questions about the potential vulnerabilities of military systems, particularly in the production of drone technology, which is dominated by China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

"A thorough investigation found no evidence of MoD data or systems being accessed, compromised or transmitted externally," an MoD spokesperson said.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

For fiscal 2027, Microsoft committed $169 billion in purchase agreements for chips, power contracts, cooling systems and other AI infrastructure needs.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

Potential applications range from distributed combined heat and power systems in buildings and factories that generate electricity while making use of the high-temperature heat produced during operation to renewable energy-based green hydrogen production.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

It was hard to believe how detailed all of the shark’s different systems were and that I had my hand inside the body of a great white.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

Related Words

• arrangement
• operation
• policy
• practice
• procedure
• process
• scheme
• strategy
• structure
• technique