systemic

American  

[si-stem-ik] / sɪˈstɛm ɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to a system, especially when affecting the entirety of a thing.

   systemic flaws in the design and construction of the vehicles.

2. relating to or noting a policy, practice, or set of beliefs that has been established as normative or customary throughout a political, social, or economic system: systemic racism.

   systemic inequality;

   systemic racism.

3. Physiology, Pathology.

   1. relating to or affecting the body as a whole.

   2. relating to or affecting a particular body system.

4. (of a pesticide) absorbed and circulated by a plant or other organism so as to be lethal to pests that feed on it.

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systemic British  

/ sɪˈstɛmɪk, -ˈstiː- /

adjective

1. another word for systematic systematic

2. physiol (of a poison, disease, etc) affecting the entire body

3. (of a pesticide, fungicide, etc) spreading through all the parts of a plant and making it toxic to pests or parasites without destroying it

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noun

1. a systemic pesticide, fungicide, etc

Other Word Forms

• nonsystemic
  adjective
• systemically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of systemic

First recorded in 1795–1805; system + -ic

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Explanation

Something that's systemic affects all parts of something. If every dog at doggy daycare has fleas, it's a systemic problem. The adjective systemic is often used to describe diseases or disorders; a systemic illness affects your whole body or an entire system — like your digestive system. Any kind of system can experience systemic problems. For example, crime is a systemic problem in a community because it affects everyone from individuals to families, businesses, and tourism, just to name a few groups harmed by the problem.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

systemic

Critics and experts point to systemic shortcomings in Spain’s rail safety, including flat investment in maintenance and obsolete signaling systems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

A recession followed, but a mild one based on history, with AI debt not systemic and some tech-related defaults.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

Because it is a systemic disease, rheumatoid arthritis can also affect organs and tissues beyond the joints.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

He soon began to see systemic issues represented in his pictures — such as the ways Black people are expected to conform to white standards of beauty.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

But knowing that Zeitoun’s ordeal was caused instead by systemic ignorance and malfunction—and perhaps long-festering paranoia on the part of the National Guard and whatever other agencies were involved—was unsettling.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

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Related Words

• fundamental
• integral
• intrinsic

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