systemic
- 01 C1 Advanced
affecting an entire organization, society, or system rather than just one part.
embedded within and spread throughout an entire system, group, or society. Often used to describe structural problems like bias or economic failure.
Simple“The company needs to fix systemic problems that cause delays in every department.”
In context“Economists warned that the failure of a major bank could lead to systemic risk across the global financial market.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it modifies.
PitfallThe computer had a systemic error. The computer had a systematic error.Use 'systemic' for something that affects the whole system; use 'systematic' for something done according to a fixed plan or method.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
affecting your whole body through the blood, rather than just one spot.
relating to the entire body or organism as a whole. In medicine, it describes treatments or diseases that travel through the bloodstream to reach all organs.
Simple“The doctor prescribed a systemic medication to treat the infection throughout his body.”
In context“While a cream treats the skin locally, a systemic antibiotic is necessary to eliminate the bacteria from the patient's bloodstream.”
UsageOften contrasted with 'topical' or 'local' in medical contexts.
Synonyms
Usage systemic challenge
“The show brilliantly dissects racism, from the sweeping and systemic to the petty and everyday.”
“By contrast, p-cresol sulfate and phenol sulfate come from tyrosine and have been linked to worse outcomes in cancer patients as well as systemic toxicity in people with kidney disease.”
From system + -ic. Doublet of systematic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.