Added 3 October 2026
system
/ˈsɪstəm/ noun
In Latin: systēma Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about system at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
the digestive system the nervous system
- A set of hardware and software operating in a computer.
- A set of equations involving the same variables, which are to be solved simultaneously.
Origin
Partly borrowed from Middle French sisteme, systeme, partly directly from its etymon Late Latin systēma (“harmony; musical scale; set of celestial objects; set of troops; system”), from Ancient Greek σύστημα (sústēma, “musical scale; organized body; whole made of several parts or members”), from σῠνίστημῐ (sŭnístēmĭ, “to combine, organize”) + -μᾰ (-mă, resultative suffix). σῠνίστημῐ is from σῠν- (sŭn-, “with, together”) + ἵστημι (hístēmi, “to stand”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”). Cognate with Dutch systeem, modern French système, German System, Italian sistema, Portuguese sistema, Spanish sistema. Doublet of systema.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)