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

See Examples For:

systemic

Under existing laws, banks have to maintain safe underwriting practices to protect against systemic defaults and their own failure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Soccer into a major, systemic evaluation of what went wrong and how it can be fixed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

In Lough’s opinion, “it would take six months or more for a deep systemic crisis to take grip.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

Led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, the inquiry found there were "potentially avoidable" outcomes for mothers and babies in 520 cases and "deeply embedded systemic failures" at maternity units in Nottingham.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 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

Related Words

• fundamental
• integral
• intrinsic