systemically

/sɪˈstiːmɪkli/ (bre, ipa) · [səstˈɛmɪkli] /sɪˈstemɪkli/ (ame, ipa) · [səstˈɛmɪkli] /-mə̇k(ə)lē How to pronounce systemically (audio) -mēk-,  -li/ (ame, mw)

systemically — adverb

1. so that a drug, disease, or poison spreads through an entire body or plant inste

1.副詞C1
釋義

so that a drug, disease, or poison spreads through an entire body or plant instead of remaining in one area

例句

After the injection, the medicine worked systemically within an hour.

medicine affecting the whole body

The cream soothes the rash, but the tablets act systemically.

contrast with a local treatment

同義詞
  • internally

    broader and less exact; something can happen internally without affecting the whole body

  • throughout the body

    a plain paraphrase that makes the whole-body idea fully explicit

反義詞
  • locally

    describes an effect limited to one area

  • topically

    used for treatments placed on the surface rather than carried through the body

文法句型

act systemically

spread systemically

work systemically

用法筆記

Often used in medical or biological writing with drugs, infections, and poisons. Distinguish it from locally or topically, which describe an effect limited to one area.

常見錯誤

❌Put the cream on again so it works systemically on one spot.
✅Put the cream on again so it works locally on that spot.
💡'systemically' means the effect reaches the whole body or plant, not just one place.

2. in a way that comes from the whole system or changes the whole system, not just

2.副詞C1
釋義

in a way that comes from the whole system or changes the whole system, not just one small part of it

例句

The hiring problem must be fixed systemically, not team by team.

fix a problem across the whole system

After the scandal, the minister promised to change hiring rules systemically.

reform something systemically

同義詞
  • institutionally

    stresses formal rules or official structures more directly

  • structurally

    focuses on how parts are arranged, not always on deep recurring patterns

  • across the board

    emphasizes broad scope, but it is less precise about causes inside the system

反義詞
  • locally

    limited to one office, team, or place

  • piecemeal

    changed one part at a time instead of treating the whole system

文法句型

fix something systemically

reform something systemically

happen systemically

用法筆記

Common when speakers mean a rule, habit, or failure is built into an institution rather than caused by one person. It often appears in discussions of schools, government, hiring, policing, and public services.

常見錯誤

❌One rude clerk means the office is systemically unfair.
✅The office is systemically unfair because the rules disadvantage every migrant worker.
💡this sense is about a pattern built into the whole system, not one person's behavior.