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systematic

adj.
US //ˌsɪstəˈmætɪk// UK //sˌɪstəmˈætɪk// sys·tem·at·ic
  1. 1 methodical and planned (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    done according to a fixed plan or system so that nothing is missed.

    carried out according to a planned, ordered procedure to ensure thoroughness and consistency.

    Example

    The police conducted a systematic search of the building, checking every room one by one.

    Example

    The researchers employed a systematic approach to the data collection, ensuring that every variable was accounted for before the final analysis began.
  2. 2 chemical naming (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    using a standard set of rules to name chemicals.

    relating to or in accordance with generally recognized conventions for the naming of chemical compounds.

    Example

    Water has the systematic name 'oxidane', though almost nobody uses it in daily life.

    Example

    In organic chemistry, systematic nomenclature allows scientists to deduce the exact structure of a molecule simply from its written name.
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  1. 3 biological classification (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    relating to how living things are grouped and named in science.

    relating to the classification of living organisms into a hierarchical system based on shared characteristics.

    Example

    The systematic study of plants helps us understand how different species are related.

    Example

    Recent systematic revisions in botany have moved several species into different genera based on new genetic evidence.
Origin

Borrowed from Late Latin systēmaticus, from Koine Greek συστηματικός (sustēmatikós), from σύστημᾰ (sústēmă, “a composite; system”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, adjective suffix). Cognate with French systématique and Italian sistematico. By surface analysis, system + -atic.

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