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 WebErik Ortiz, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2023
Individuals can't fight against centuries of systemic oppression on their own.
—Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 18 Sep. 2023
There’s widespread agreement about the systemic problems: Defendants can sit in jail for months at a time without a lawyer.
—Caleb Bedillion, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2023
Equity programs focused on social justice and removing systemic patterns of inequities predicted by gender or racial ethnicity.
—Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023
After the General Assembly passed numerous measures to affect systemic budgetary changes during the last session, a report from the Department of Legislative Services predicted a $418 million structural deficit for fiscal year 2025.
—Baltimore Sun, 13 Sep. 2023
Literacy benefits society Literacy helps level the playing field across systemic societal issues, like race and gender inequality.
—Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023
This important victory may prove only pyrrhic, though, if important legal issues (e.g. token security status) are not resolved in a more comprehensive and systemic fashion.
—Damien Scott, Fortune Crypto, 9 Sep. 2023
In interviews with The New York Times, more than a dozen women involved in Spanish soccer described more than a decade of systemic sexism ranging from paternalism and offhand remarks to verbal abuse.
—Jeré Longman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
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
From the individual to the systemic, all angles matter.
—Lauren Leader, ELLE, 30 June 2022
In comparison, for insecticides, a systemic inside the plant’s tissues needs to be eaten to impact the pest.
—Miri Talabac, baltimoresun.com, 9 Feb. 2022
See More
Adjective
Grazier said the high-profile incident warrants a full investigation to determine whether it was prompted by a simple explanation or points to a more systemic problem.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2023
Individuals can't fight against centuries of systemic oppression on their own.
—Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 18 Sep. 2023
There’s widespread agreement about the systemic problems: Defendants can sit in jail for months at a time without a lawyer.
—Caleb Bedillion, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2023
Equity programs focused on social justice and removing systemic patterns of inequities predicted by gender or racial ethnicity.
—Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023
After the General Assembly passed numerous measures to affect systemic budgetary changes during the last session, a report from the Department of Legislative Services predicted a $418 million structural deficit for fiscal year 2025.
—Baltimore Sun, 13 Sep. 2023
Literacy benefits society Literacy helps level the playing field across systemic societal issues, like race and gender inequality.
—Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023
This important victory may prove only pyrrhic, though, if important legal issues (e.g. token security status) are not resolved in a more comprehensive and systemic fashion.
—Damien Scott, Fortune Crypto, 9 Sep. 2023
In interviews with The New York Times, more than a dozen women involved in Spanish soccer described more than a decade of systemic sexism ranging from paternalism and offhand remarks to verbal abuse.
—Jeré Longman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
Noun
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
From the individual to the systemic, all angles matter.
—Lauren Leader, ELLE, 30 June 2022
In comparison, for insecticides, a systemic inside the plant’s tissues needs to be eaten to impact the pest.
—Miri Talabac, baltimoresun.com, 9 Feb. 2022
See More
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.
Word History
Phrases Containing systemic
Dictionary Entries Near systemic
Cite this Entry
“Systemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/systemic. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
systemic
adjective
sys·tem·ic
sis-ˈtem-ik
: of, relating to, or common to a system: as
a
: of or relating to the body as a whole
a systemic disease
b
: concerned with the circulation that supplies blood to the bodily tissues through the aorta rather than the circulation involved in carrying blood through the pulmonary artery
Medical 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
More from Merriam-Webster on systemic
Nglish: Translation of systemic for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of systemic for Arabic Speakers
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