sys·tem·ic
si-ˈste-mik 
: of, relating to, or common to a system: such as
a
: affecting the body generally
systemic diseases
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)
Neonics … are what is known as "systemic" pesticides. That is, the neonics are applied directly to seeds, and those treated seeds then grow into the crops that contain neonicotinoids in their pollen, their nectar and, indeed, their every fiber.—
Joel Bleifuss
Joel Bleifuss
d
: fundamental to a predominant social, economic, or political practice
Her story is one of hard-won resilience and a desire to fight against tremendous odds: the systemic poverty instigated and perpetuated by what her advocates describe as punitive government policy.—Stephanie Convery
Stephanie ConveryPeople are tired of marching. People are tired of hashtag protests. People want some systemic change.—Rev. Tiffany Thomas
see also systemic racism
Rev. Tiffany Thomas
Systematic and Systemic: Usage Guide
Systematic and systemic both come from system. Systematic is the more common word; it most often describes something that is done according to a system or method
a systematic approach to learning that involves carefully following the program's steps
Systemic describes what relates to or affects an entire system. For example, a systemic disease affects the entire body or organism, and systemic changes to an organization have an impact on the entire organization, including its most basic operations.
: a systemic pesticide
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 WebHilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
For all its design prowess, Nutrition Facts embraced an ideology of consumer empowerment ill-equipped to address systemic disadvantages.
—TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
That’s evidence of a systemic failure in identifying and addressing mental health concerns in young people.
—Wendy Ward, STAT, 10 Apr. 2024
The groups have exploited several systemic security failings in Nigeria, including the scarcity of rural police and alleged corruption preventing security forces from being adequately armed.
—Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
Working within systems comes with systemic challenges, and barriers are multiplied for those of marginalized identities.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024
Maintaining oral hygiene is essential to manage Fusobacterium nucleatum, reducing gum disease risk and its potential systemic health impact.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Even though one of the country’s systemic institutions came close to failure, banks still stashed away a record amount in profits from lending.
—Bastian Benrath, Fortune Europe, 4 Apr. 2024
This includes conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Sjögren syndrome, systemic sclerosis, polymyalgia rheumatica, mixed connective tissue disease, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, polyarteritis nodosa, or vasculitis.
—Anuradha Varanasi, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
George Loewenstein, a titan of behavioral science and a co-author of Ariely’s masturbation paper, has refashioned his research program, conceding that his own work might have contributed to an emphasis on the individual at the expense of the systemic.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2023
Even before its shocking and infuriating final episode drives home the point, Last Call indicts a society whose systemic—and ongoing—homophobia, from the isolation of the closet to the prejudice embedded in public institutions, can have lethal consequences.
—Time, 7 July 2023
Art’s full accounting demands both: the human scale and the systemic; the power comes in superimposing one on the other, in appreciating the weight of each of those nearly two million souls against that of the power structure that frames their enclosure.
—Adam Bradley, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2022
To me, the word systemic means that it’s built into the institution.
—Anthony Leonardi, Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2020
This requires building an ecosystem that works to uplift diverse founders and individuals, but this has to work along two prongs—both the personal and the systemic.
—Karl Lokko, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2022
Alexis Oatman reports the event will help raise essential funds to support the organization’s ongoing mission to address and improve the systemic and community structures that lead to poor birth outcomes.
—cleveland, 10 Nov. 2022
This is an intentional leader who understands what zero tolerance actually means but has the systemic and leadership and compassion chops to bring everyone along.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2022
Adjective
As the organization continues its efforts to reallocate wealth and support Black and Brown people in the face of systemic oppression, HTE is always open to receiving more investors willing to reallocate wealth.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
For all its design prowess, Nutrition Facts embraced an ideology of consumer empowerment ill-equipped to address systemic disadvantages.
—TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
That’s evidence of a systemic failure in identifying and addressing mental health concerns in young people.
—Wendy Ward, STAT, 10 Apr. 2024
The groups have exploited several systemic security failings in Nigeria, including the scarcity of rural police and alleged corruption preventing security forces from being adequately armed.
—Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
Working within systems comes with systemic challenges, and barriers are multiplied for those of marginalized identities.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024
Maintaining oral hygiene is essential to manage Fusobacterium nucleatum, reducing gum disease risk and its potential systemic health impact.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Even though one of the country’s systemic institutions came close to failure, banks still stashed away a record amount in profits from lending.
—Bastian Benrath, Fortune Europe, 4 Apr. 2024
This includes conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Sjögren syndrome, systemic sclerosis, polymyalgia rheumatica, mixed connective tissue disease, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, polyarteritis nodosa, or vasculitis.
—Anuradha Varanasi, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
In addition, the use of broad-spectrum pesticides as a systemic applied to the soil or sprayed on plants often sets up gardeners for heavy infestations of spider mites.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
George Loewenstein, a titan of behavioral science and a co-author of Ariely’s masturbation paper, has refashioned his research program, conceding that his own work might have contributed to an emphasis on the individual at the expense of the systemic.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2023
Even before its shocking and infuriating final episode drives home the point, Last Call indicts a society whose systemic—and ongoing—homophobia, from the isolation of the closet to the prejudice embedded in public institutions, can have lethal consequences.
—Time, 7 July 2023
Art’s full accounting demands both: the human scale and the systemic; the power comes in superimposing one on the other, in appreciating the weight of each of those nearly two million souls against that of the power structure that frames their enclosure.
—Adam Bradley, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2022
To me, the word systemic means that it’s built into the institution.
—Anthony Leonardi, Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2020
This requires building an ecosystem that works to uplift diverse founders and individuals, but this has to work along two prongs—both the personal and the systemic.
—Karl Lokko, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2022
Alexis Oatman reports the event will help raise essential funds to support the organization’s ongoing mission to address and improve the systemic and community structures that lead to poor birth outcomes.
—cleveland, 10 Nov. 2022
This is an intentional leader who understands what zero tolerance actually means but has the systemic and leadership and compassion chops to bring everyone along.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'systemic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near systemic
Cite this Entry
“Systemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/systemic. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
systemic
1 of 2 adjective
sys·tem·ic
sis-ˈtem-ik
: 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)
systemic
2 of 2 noun
: a systemic pesticide
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