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  

/ -ˈstiː-, sɪˈstɛmɪk /

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

Etymology

Origin of systemic

First recorded in 1795–1805; system + -ic

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

An external review found multiple failings, with Ockenden saying the case was "compounded by a systemic cover-up and investigations designed to mislead".

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026

Liver function returned to normal within two weeks after surgery, and researchers found no evidence of systemic toxicity.

From Science Daily • Jul. 2, 2026

"The state bears responsibility for the systems it funded and legitimised, which enabled these practices to occur... For this systemic failure, I am truly sorry," he added.

From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026

Back then, Russia repaired the damage fast enough to avoid systemic shutdowns.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

He starts by talking about his experience growing up Black in Mississippi and moves on to talk about systemic racism and how we don’t even realize how embedded it is in our world.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

Related Words

• fundamental
• integral
• intrinsic