the system

the system — idiom

1. the established authorities and institutions in a society, seen as working toget

1.idiomB2
Definition

the established authorities and institutions in a society, seen as working together to keep their power and control over ordinary people

Example

Imani watched the system ignore families who had lost their homes in the fire.

the system + verb: ignores, fails, protects its own

Bilal spent his twenties fighting the system and lost every court case.

collocation: fight the system

Common collocations
  • fight the system
  • work within the system
  • beat the system
  • the system is broken
  • trapped by the system
  • the system fails
Synonyms
  • the establishment

    focuses on the elite people in power rather than the structure itself

  • the powers that be

    more neutral; often used without the critical, anti-authority tone

  • the machine

    informal; emphasizes the impersonal, mechanical nature of large organizations

Usage Note

Always used with the definite article 'the.' Implies the speaker sees the social order as impersonal, rigid, or oppressive. In everyday speech, people often say 'the system' without specifying which system — the meaning is understood from context.

Common Mistakes

She complained about the system after her laptop crashed.
She complained about the system after the government ignored her housing application.
The idiomatic 'the system' always refers to social or political power structures, not to technology or machinery.

Synonym discussion

Sense: idiom/1

The system is the broadest of these terms, referring to the entire network of institutions and rules that govern society. The establishment focuses more narrowly on the elite group of people in power — politicians, business leaders, and senior officials — rather than the structure itself. The powers that be emphasizes the current holders of authority without the critical edge that 'the system' carries; it is more neutral and often used in religious or philosophical contexts. The machine (or political machine) highlights the impersonal, mechanical quality of large organizations, especially in politics. The man is informal and dated, originating in 1960s counterculture as a personification of oppressive authority. Unlike 'the system,' it suggests a single, often faceless, enemy figure.

the establishmentthe powers that be ↗the machinethe man

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word system comes from the Greek sustēma ('organized whole, composition'), from sun- ('together') + histanai ('to set up, to stand'). It entered English via Latin systema and French système in the 17th century. The idiomatic sense of the system — meaning the established political and social order viewed as impersonal or oppressive — emerged in the mid-20th century, gaining wide use during the counterculture movements of the 1960s.