What does "system" mean?
A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.
System
/ˈsɪstəm/ noun
noun ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.
- Grammar: system is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: organization, scheme, aggregation, algorithm.
- Useful contrasts: electric circuits unit, utter disarray, actor.
- Usage evidence: The educational system is in transition.
How to use "system"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "system" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "system" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "system" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "system" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "system" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "organization" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "system", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole. countable, uncountable
"Every age has its characteristic, and our present one is not behind its predecessors in that respect; it is the age of systems, every system enforced by a treatise. The politician who opposes the corn-laws and advocates free trade, does so on a system, which, as soon as it begins to work, will set the civilized world to rights."
- 2 instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity wordnet
- 3 A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.; A set of hardware and software operating in a computer. countable, uncountable
"WIPO [the World Intellectual Property Organization] reported that China had 17 of the top 20 academic organizations filing for AI-related patents. It noted China was especially strong in the fast-growing area of "deep learning." This is a machine learning method that includes speech and facial recognition systems."
- 4 an ordered manner; orderliness by virtue of being methodical and well organized wordnet
- 5 A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.; A set of equations involving the same variables, which are to be solved simultaneously. countable, uncountable
"The method of solving systems of equations by matrices that we will look at is based on procedures involving equations that we are familiar with from previous mathematics courses. The main idea is to reduce a given system of equations to another simpler system that has the same solutions."
Show 16 more definitions
- 6 the living body considered as made up of interdependent components forming a unified whole wordnet
- 7 A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.; A set of staves linked by a brace that indicate instruments or sounds that are to be played simultaneously. countable, uncountable
"To notate music that is played on a piano or is played by different musicians on various instruments, one often uses several staves to notate the various musical voices. A single vertical line drawn to the left of multiple staves creates a staff system, which indicates that the music on all staves is to be played simultaneously. A bracket is an additional vertically aligned symbol joining staves. This symbol shows groupings of instruments that function as a unit, such as the string section of an orchestra[…]."
- 8 a group of physiologically or anatomically related organs or parts wordnet
- 9 A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.; A set of body organs having a particular function. countable, uncountable
"the digestive system the nervous system"
- 10 a complex of methods or rules governing behavior wordnet
- 11 A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.; A set of alters of a person, or the multiple (“an individual with multiple personalities”) who contains them. countable, uncountable
"But that alter often turns out to be relatively recent and fairly peripheral in the multiple's total system of alters."
- 12 an organized structure for arranging or classifying wordnet
- 13 A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.; A system in which two or more objects are bound to each other by gravity. countable, uncountable
"There are eight planets in the solar system."
- 14 a procedure or process for obtaining an objective wordnet
- 15 A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.; A comprehensive and logically organized set of propositions or philosophical beliefs. countable, uncountable
"In the footnote attached to this statement Rosen refers to the “hypnotic” quality of Kojève’s system."
- 16 a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole wordnet
- 17 A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.; The mainstream culture, controlled by the elites or government of a state, or a combination of them, seen as oppressive to the individual. capitalized, countable, derogatory, often, uncountable
"Meronyms: the man, yes men, elephant in the room, emperor's new clothes, Leviathan, Big Brother"
- 18 (physical chemistry) a sample of matter in which substances in different phases are in equilibrium wordnet
- 19 A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.; A set of rules for a tabletop roleplaying game. countable, uncountable
- 20 A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.; A socioeconomic formation. countable, uncountable
"The capitalist system"
- 21 A method or way of organizing or planning. countable, uncountable
"Followers should have a system to follow that works in their interests, not against them."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The educational system is in transition."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "system"?
Common synonyms include: organization, scheme, aggregation, algorithm, all, all being.
How do you use "system" in a sentence?
The educational system is in transition.
How do you pronounce "system"?
Pronounced /ˈsɪstəm/.
Etymology
Partly borrowed from Middle French sisteme, systeme, partly directly from its etymon Late Latin systēma (“harmony; musical scale; set of celestial objects; set of troops; system”), from Ancient Greek σύστημα (sústēma, “musical scale; organized body; whole made of several parts or members”), from σῠνίστημῐ (sŭnístēmĭ, “to combine, organize”) + -μᾰ (-mă, resultative suffix). σῠνίστημῐ is from σῠν- (sŭn-, “with, together”) + ἵστημι (hístēmi, “to stand”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”). Cognate with Dutch systeem, modern French système, German System, Italian sistema, Portuguese sistema, Spanish sistema. Doublet of systema.