system — English Dictionary

system
Pronunciations (3)
  • /ˈsɪstəm/
  • ˈsɪstəm
    Pronunciation notes
    • GB
  • ˈsɪstəm
    Pronunciation notes
    • US

Noun

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

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples
    More examples (3)

    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.

    The bass and treble clefs combined, include all the sounds belonging to our musical system, as they appear on a 6½-octave pianoforte, extending from C C C in the bass to F in altissimo.

    Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads.

  2. A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole. A set of hardware and software operating in a computer.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples
    More examples (1)

    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.

  3. 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.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples
    More examples (1)

    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.

  4. 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.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples
    More examples (1)

    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[…].

  5. A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole. A set of body organs having a particular function.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Synonyms
    Examples

    the digestive system the nervous system

    More examples (1)

    Animals have evolved a variety of digestive systems to utilise fibre. The kangaroos have evolved a digestive system that has much in common with those found in ruminant mammals from other continents, but there are also unique features.

  6. 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.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    But that alter often turns out to be relatively recent and fairly peripheral in the multiple's total system of alters.

    More examples (1)

    Rosie's courage allowed her to engage with me quickly and soon provided reassurance to others in the system that I was safe and non-abusive. Soon after, a number of other alters made themselves known to me. […] I was initially very worried that I would offend the system by missing when switches occurred, or even misidentify who was present with me.

  7. 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.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    There are eight planets in the solar system.

    More examples (1)

    Yukawa is a small rock planet with a thin atmosphere of carbon dioxide. After a labor dispute with companies shipping metallic asteroids to the nearby Arcturus system, Yukawa's iron core and blanket of hematite were briefly mined to aid in the construction of Arcturus Station.

  8. 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.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    In the footnote attached to this statement Rosen refers to the “hypnotic” quality of Kojève’s system.

  9. 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.

    Usage
    • capitalized
    • Countable
    • Derogatory
    • often
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    Meronyms: the man, yes men, elephant in the room, emperor's new clothes, Leviathan, Big Brother

    “Overwork started his illness, kept it alight, and killed him, poor devil. Write him off to the System - one man to do the work of two-and-a-half men.”

    More examples (2)

    Some had already been incarcerated for several months awaiting trial, and some were being returned to their cells at Long Bay to wait several months longer ere they would have an` opportunity of disproving the allegations against them. Such mockery of justice is allowed by the all-powerful "system".

    Don't want to grow old too fast / Don't want to let the system get me down / I've got to find a way to make the good times last / And if you'll show me how, I'm ready now

  10. A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole. A set of rules for a tabletop roleplaying game.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
  11. A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole. A socioeconomic formation.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    The capitalist system

  12. A method or way of organizing or planning.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    Followers should have a system to follow that works in their interests, not against them.

    More examples (4)

    But ſo Matters fell out, and ſo I muſt relate them; and if any Reader is ſhocked at their appearing unnatural, I cannot help it. I must remind ſuch Persons, that I am not writing a Syſtem, but a Hiſtory, and I am not obliged to reconcile every Matter to the received Notions concerning Truth and Nature.

    As we passed along, the party of Too-wit (the whole hundred and ten savages of the canoes) was momentarily strengthened by smaller detachments, of from two to six or seven, which joined us, as if by accident, at different turns in the road. There appeared so much of system in this that I could not help feeling distrust, and I spoke to Captain Guy of my apprehensions.

    As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish, but I would not go out of my way to protest against it. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get. I would very gladly make mine over to him if I could.

    He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record. With this biological framework in place, [Peter] Corning endeavors to show that the capitalist system as currently practiced in the United States and elsewhere is manifestly unfair.

Noun

  1. instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

    Examples

    he bought a new stereo system

    the system consists of a motor and a small computer

  2. a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole

    Synonyms
    Broader terms
    Examples

    a vast system of production and distribution and consumption keep the country going

  3. (physical chemistry) a sample of matter in which substances in different phases are in equilibrium

    Broader terms
    Examples

    in a static system, oil cannot be replaced by water on a surface

    a system generating hydrogen peroxide

  4. a complex of methods or rules governing behavior

    Broader terms
    Examples

    they have to operate under a system they oppose

    that language has a complex system for indicating gender

  5. an organized structure for arranging or classifying

    Broader terms
    Examples

    he changed the arrangement of the topics

    the facts were familiar but it was in the organization of them that he was original

    More examples (1)

    he tried to understand their system of classification

  6. a group of physiologically or anatomically related organs or parts

    Broader terms
    Examples

    the body has a system of organs for digestion

  7. a procedure or process for obtaining an objective

    Broader terms
    Examples

    they had to devise a system that did not depend on cooperation

  8. the living body considered as made up of interdependent components forming a unified whole

    Broader terms
    Examples

    exercise helped him get the alcohol out of his system

  9. an ordered manner; orderliness by virtue of being methodical and well organized

    Examples

    his compulsive organization was not an endearing quality

    we can't do it unless we establish some system around here

Word forms
systems

Code Formatters

Format and beautify Java, Python, JavaScript, JSON, HTML and more; adjust indentation, spacing and line breaks.

More tools

Audio Editing & Effects

Trim, join or split recordings, remove silence or noise, and adjust volume, speed, pitch or channels.

More tools

Spreadsheet Tools

Open and edit CSV or Excel sheets, format tabular text, and convert CSV to Excel or SQL.

More tools

Markdown Tools

Write and preview Markdown, render Mermaid diagrams, and convert Markdown, HTML and tables between formats.

Text Tools

Compare passages, count words and keywords, sort or replace lines, and view DOCX text.

Dictionaries

Look up Chinese meanings, synonyms and antonyms, or find IPA pronunciations in multiple languages.

Audio Conversion & Playback

Convert between MP3, WAV, FLAC and more, play audio or raw PCM, and inspect or edit audio metadata.

JSON & Data Tools

Inspect, compare and validate JSON; test JSONPath expressions, or convert data to CSV, YAML and XML.

More tools

Speech Tools

Transcribe audio to text, generate speech from text, or record your voice in the browser.

Video Tools

Convert and compress video, trim or join clips, resize frames, and extract audio.

More tools

Video Playback & Recording

Play local or streaming video, record your screen or camera, and use your camera as an online mirror.

PDF Tools

Compress or merge PDFs, split and rearrange pages, convert pages to images, and view or compare documents.

More tools

Image Tools

Convert image formats, resize or crop photos, compress files, compare pictures, and extract text with OCR.

More tools

Image Creation

Capture and beautify screenshots, turn text into images or GIFs, draw on a whiteboard, and create word clouds or favicons.

More tools

Subtitle Tools

Edit SRT or VTT captions with a video preview, shift timing, convert formats, and manage subtitle tracks.

More tools

Archive Tools

Open ZIP, 7Z, RAR or TAR files, extract selected contents, and create new archives with optional ZIP/7Z passwords.

Encoders | Decoders

Encode and decode Base64 or Base32, escape URLs, HTML and Unicode text, and inspect JWT contents.

More tools

Number Tools

Convert number bases and values between binary, decimal and hex; turn numbers into words or text into binary.

Calculators

Work out percentages and fractions, summarize statistics, and calculate grades, discounts or aspect ratios.

More tools

Time Tools

Show an online clock, run a countdown or stopwatch, and calculate dates, ages or time-zone differences.

More tools

Network Tools

Check your IP and IPv6 connection, inspect HTTP requests or HAR files, and calculate CIDR address ranges.

Unit Conversions

Convert length, weight, temperature, data storage and other units.

Color Tools

Convert HEX, RGB and HSL values, extract colors from an image, check contrast, or test your display with solid colors.

QR Codes & Barcodes

Generate and scan QR codes or barcodes, including QR codes for links and Wi-Fi networks.

Developer & Security Tools

Generate hashes, UUIDs and passwords, test regular expressions, create URL slugs and check file permissions.

More tools

Utility Tools

Check screen resolution and refresh rate, measure with a screen ruler, test keys, or read from a teleprompter.

More tools

Games

2048, Minesweeper, Sudoku, Gomoku, Tank Battle

More tools