system

noun

Simple meaning

A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

sistuhm

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice

IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈsɪstəm

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.
countableuncountable
A method or way of organizing or planning.
computing
A set of hardware and software operating in a computer.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty: A1 · Beginner (estimated)
Frequency: Very Common
Typical Use: Varies by meaning

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.

Used this way, system is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone: Neutral
Formality: Neutral
Intensity: Not strongly marked
How common: Moderately common
Connotation: Confusing or complicated
Usage feel: Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use system

“A vast system of production and distribution and consumption keep the country going.”noun
“They have to operate under a system they oppose.”noun
“The body has a system of organs for digestion.”noun

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Set

operating systemlegal systemimmune systempolitical system

Other combinations

nervous systemcontrol systeminformation systemschool system

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

system of logicnounCompound term
A system of reasoning.
system of macrophagesnounCompound term
A widely distributed system of free and fixed macrophages derived from bone marrow.
system of measurementnounCompound term
A system of related measures that facilitates the quantification of some particular characteristic.
system of numerationnounCompound term
Any notation for the representation of numbers.
system of rulesnounCompound term
A complex of methods or rules governing behavior.
system of weightsnounCompound term
A system of units used to express the weight of something.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

systema alimentariumnounRelated term
The system that makes food absorbable into the body.
systema digestoriumnounRelated term
The system that makes food absorbable into the body.
systema lymphaticumnounRelated term
The interconnected system of spaces and vessels between body tissues and organs by which lymph circulates throughout the body.
systema nervosum centralenounRelated term
The portion of the vertebrate nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.
systema nervosum periphericumnounRelated term
The section of the nervous system lying outside the brain and spinal cord.
systema respiratoriumnounRelated term
The system for taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.