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sys·tem·ic | \ si-ˈste-mik 
\
\Definition of systemic
(Entry 1 of 2)
: 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
d : fundamental to a predominant social, economic, or political practice
systemic poverty Our nation faces a fork in the road and a decision to either continue down the same path of systemic racism or to confront our past honestly.— Bree Newsome People are tired of marching. People are tired of hashtag protests. People want some systemic change.— Rev. Tiffany Thomas
systemic
nounDefinition of systemic (Entry 2 of 2)
: a systemic pesticide
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Other Words from systemic
Adjective
systemically \ si-ˈste-mi-k(ə-)lē \ adverb
\ adverbExamples 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 Finally, the Academy has taken concrete action against the systemic problems that have led to glaring racial inequities in Hollywood's stories and storytellers.
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Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, "The Oscars' new best-picture standards are a meaningful, and reasonable, effort to diversify Hollywood," 9 Sep. 2020 Fixing systemic problems is more difficult than spewing moralism, and Americans gravitated toward the latter.
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Ed Yong, The Atlantic, "The Pandemic Is an Intuition Nightmare," 9 Sep. 2020 But the plan has run into criticism from advocacy groups and a mixed reception from state lawmakers, with some saying the leases will be costly without addressing systemic problems.
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Kim Chandler, Star Tribune, "Alabama gov seeks 3 private built mega prisons, names sites," 3 Sep. 2020 Farzana Serang, who leads a program to address racial inequities in the food system as executive director of the Castanea Fellowship, agrees that systemic problems have kept diversity out of the food industry.
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Emily Davies, Washington Post, "Dupont Circle Farmers Market adds new vendors after black businesses said they were denied access because of race," 26 June 2020 The systemic problems related to race and voting in the U.S., Abrams said, come straight from the top.
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Dominick Mastrangelo, Washington Examiner, "Stacey Abrams: Trump's use of 'kung flu' shows 'racism is the core of his appeal'," 24 June 2020 Lora Owens said the family has been watching documentaries, talking about implicit bias and teaching their children about systemic problems in the justice system.
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Miles Moffeit, Dallas News, "‘Never again,’ faithful say on second day of Juneteenth rallies," 20 June 2020 What is clear, according to advocates of police abolition, is that the systemic problems with officers like Rolfe run deep, and ultimately amount to the killing of unarmed Black men, like Rayshard Brooks.
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Sarah Midkiff, refinery29.com, "The Officer Charged With Rayshard Brooks’ Murder Has A Disturbing Disciplinary History," 18 June 2020 Another systemic form of discrimination is the de facto segregation of schools.
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Melody Schreiber, The New Republic, "You Might Not Know If Your Kid Has Covid-19," 3 Sep. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun There’s no formula for grieving, listening, advocating and being an ally, especially for those confronting this systemic rot for the first time.
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Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "Opinion: MLB response to George Floyd killing exposes its limitations as a social institution," 4 June 2020
See MoreThese 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.
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More Definitions for systemic
systemic
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of systemic
formal : of or relating to an entire system
medical : of, relating to, or affecting the entire body
See the full definition for systemic in the English Language Learners Dictionary
systemic
adjectivesys·tem·ic | \ si-ˈste-mik \
\Kids Definition of systemic
: of or relating to the body as a whole
systemic disease
systemic
adjectivesys·tem·ic | \ sis-ˈtem-ik \
\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(ə-)lē \ adverb
\ adverbsystemic
nounMedical Definition of systemic (Entry 2 of 2)
: a systemic pesticide
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Time Traveler for systemic
The first known use of systemic was in 1803
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