1 systemic | Definition of systemic

systemic

adjective
sys·​tem·​ic | \ si-ˈste-mik How to pronounce systemic (audio) \

Definition of systemic

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: of, relating to, or common to a system: such as
a : affecting the body generally
b : supplying those parts of the body that receive blood through the aorta rather than through the pulmonary artery
c : of, relating to, or being a pesticide that as used is harmless to the plant or higher animal but when absorbed into its sap or bloodstream makes the entire organism toxic to pests (such as an insect or fungus)

systemic

noun

Definition of systemic (Entry 2 of 2)

: a systemic pesticide

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from systemic

Adjective

systemically \ si-​ˈste-​mi-​k(É™-​)lÄ“ How to pronounce systemically (audio) \ adverb

Examples of systemic in a Sentence

Adjective

The company made some systemic changes to the way it operated. The problem seems to be systemic.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

It should be noted that people with systemic lupus can have skin involvement as well. Azmia Magane, Allure, "What Is Lupus? 11 Things to Know About the Misunderstood Autoimmune Disease," 7 Sep. 2019 But aside from geography, inequities exist around access to care and systemic health disparities, particularly for people of color andresidents of low-income communities. Erin Allday, SFChronicle.com, "Major shortcomings in organ transplant network flagged in UCSF, Columbia studies," 7 Sep. 2019 However, systemic restructuring in Providence could not happen under local authority. Keith Oliveira, BostonGlobe.com, "Keith Oliveira: State was right to take over Providence schools," 3 Sep. 2019 The council opted to implement a hiring freeze as a way to address the city’s systemic budget deficit while avoiding permanent staffing cuts. Anthony Clark Carpio, Burbank Leader, "Burbank officials look to fill vacant city positions," 30 Aug. 2019 Black Women’s Equal Pay Day marks the systemic and strategically designed pay gaps that black women face, marking the point when our income finally catches up to the earnings of non-Hispanic white men from the previous calendar year. San Diego Union-Tribune, "Taking what she learned about self-advocacy and sharing it with others to close the gender pay gap," 24 Aug. 2019 Next year apply the systemic insecticide Imidacloprid in mid-May to prevent the caterpillars from ever feeding. Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, "13-year-old mesquite dying from too much water," 23 Aug. 2019 Requiring unanimous juries would ensure fair representation, promote systemic accountability and legitimacy, and bring Oregon in line with all 49 of our sister states. Hillary Borrud | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive.com, "Oregon attorney general files brief calling for Supreme Court to uphold non-unanimous juries," 23 Aug. 2019 Right-wing critics, including Trump, have long claimed that an anti-conservative bias is baked into the tech industry's most popular products — though researchers have consistently failed to unearth systemic evidence of partisan discrimination. Brian Fung, CNN, "Federal officials raise concerns about White House plan to police alleged social media censorship," 22 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'systemic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of systemic

Adjective

1803, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1951, in the meaning defined above

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for systemic

systemic

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of systemic

formal : of or relating to an entire system
medical : of, relating to, or affecting the entire body

systemic

adjective
sys·​tem·​ic | \ si-ˈste-mik How to pronounce systemic (audio) \

Kids Definition of systemic

: of or relating to the body as a whole systemic disease

systemic

adjective
sys·​tem·​ic | \ sis-ˈtem-ik How to pronounce systemic (audio) \

Medical Definition of systemic

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: of, relating to, or common to a system: as
a : affecting the body generally — compare local
b : supplying those parts of the body that receive blood through the aorta rather than through the pulmonary artery
c : being a pesticide that as used is harmless to a higher animal or a plant but when absorbed into the bloodstream or the sap makes the whole organism toxic to pests (as cattle grubs, mites, or aphids)

Other Words from systemic

systemically \ -​i-​k(É™-​)lÄ“ How to pronounce systemically (audio) \ adverb

systemic

noun

Medical Definition of systemic (Entry 2 of 2)

: a systemic pesticide

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on systemic

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with systemic

Spanish Central: Translation of systemic

Nglish: Translation of systemic for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of systemic for Arabic Speakers