Home › Health Sciences › Healthcare Access & Inequality › systemic

systemic

sis-TEM-ik /sɪˈstemɪk/

adjectiveC1GREGMATLSAT

academicmedicalpolitical

Relating to a system as a whole, rather than just one part; deeply ingrained in the structure of an organization or society.

In medicine, it means affecting the whole body. In social science, it means the problem is built into the 'rules' of society, not just caused by individuals.

The story behind the word. From the Greek 'systema', meaning a whole composed of several parts. It entered English through medical Latin to describe diseases that affected the whole body, later moving into sociology to describe 'diseases' of society.

Word relationships

structural: Structural emphasizes the 'building' or 'framework'; systemic emphasizes the 'flow' or 'process' within the whole.
pervasive: Pervasive means spreading everywhere; systemic means it is part of the system's core design.

localized: Localized means restricted to one specific area or part.

Commonly confused with

systematic: Systematic means 'orderly' or 'methodical'; systemic means 'affecting the whole system'.

Word family

system (noun): a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network.

Collocations

systemic racism
systemic failure
systemic risk
systemic change

Example sentences

"The lack of diversity in the medical profession is a systemic issue that cannot be solved by a single hiring policy." Institutional critique
"The infection has become systemic, meaning it is now circulating throughout his entire bloodstream." Medical diagnosis

Memory hook

Systemic = The whole System. If the plumbing in the whole house is bad, it's a systemic problem, not just one leaky faucet. It's in the 'stem'—the core of the whole thing.

When not to use

Do not confuse with 'systematic', which means done according to a fixed plan or method.

Fun facts

In finance, a 'systemic risk' is a risk that could cause the entire global economy to collapse.