systemic
/sɪˈstiːmɪk/ (bre, ipa) · [sɪstˈɛmɪk] /sɪˈstemɪk/ (ame, ipa) · [sɪstˈɛmɪk] /si-ˈste-mik How to pronounce systemic (audio)/ (ame, mw)
systemic — adjective
- systemicpositive
- more systemiccomparative
- most systemicsuperlative
1. present throughout an organization, institution, or society, so the cause comes
present throughout an organization, institution, or society, so the cause comes from how the whole setup works rather than from one small part.
The report found systemic bias in the bank's loan approval process.
systemic bias: built into the whole process
Teachers said overcrowded classes were a systemic problem, not a temporary one.
be systemic: describing a problem across the whole system
Renata warned that low pay was a systemic issue across public hospitals.
Fixing one office will not solve the company's systemic communication failures.
The judge said the housing shortage reflected systemic failures in local planning.
- structural
focuses more on how parts are arranged, while 'systemic' stresses that the effect runs through the whole system
- widespread
means happening in many places, but does not itself show that the system causes it
- institutional
usually narrower, referring to the habits or rules of one organization
文法句型
systemic + noun
be systemic
用法筆記
Often modifies nouns such as problem, bias, failure, risk, and change. It points to something built into the way a whole system works, unlike a local problem that can be fixed in one place.
常見錯誤
2. spreading through an entire body or whole plant instead of staying in one area.
spreading through an entire body or whole plant instead of staying in one area.
The doctor chose a systemic treatment because the infection had already spread.
systemic treatment: medicine for the whole body
Theo developed a systemic reaction after taking the new antibiotic tablets.
systemic reaction: affecting the whole body
Vets watched the puppy closely for signs of systemic poisoning overnight.
The fungus became systemic, so brown marks appeared on every leaf.
Bilal needed hospital care when the infection turned into a systemic illness.
- generalized
common in medical writing for something spread through the body, though less often used for treatments
- body-wide
plain English description rather than a technical term
- whole-body
mainly used before another noun, such as 'whole-body scan'
文法句型
systemic + noun
be systemic
用法筆記
Most often used in medical, veterinary, or plant-care contexts. It describes something that moves through the whole body or organism, not a condition limited to one spot on the skin or one leaf.
常見錯誤
systemic — noun
1. a pest-killing chemical that enters a plant or animal and then moves through the
a pest-killing chemical that enters a plant or animal and then moves through the whole body, making pests sick when they feed on it.
Farmers used a systemic on the orange trees before aphids covered the leaves.
a systemic: short for a systemic pesticide
The label warned that the systemic should not be sprayed near the pond.
Anya mixed the systemic with water and poured it around each rose bush.
The nursery stopped selling that systemic after customers asked for safer options.
- systemic pesticide
the full form; clearer for readers outside farming or gardening
- systemic insecticide
narrower, used when the target pests are insects rather than pests in general
- soil drench
describes one method of applying a systemic, not the chemical itself
- contact spray
kills pests on the surface instead of moving through the plant
文法句型
a systemic
use/apply a systemic
用法筆記
Usually countable in agriculture and gardening. In specialist speech, people often shorten 'systemic pesticide' to simply 'systemic'.