system
pronunciation
How to pronounce system in British English:
UK [ˈsɪstəm]
How to pronounce system in American English:
US [ˈsɪstəm]
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- Noun:
- a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole
- instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
- a complex of methods or rules governing behavior
- a procedure or process for obtaining an objective
- a group of physiologically or anatomically related organs or parts
- an organized structure for arranging or classifying
- (physical chemistry) a sample of matter in which substances in different phases are in equilibrium
- the living body considered as made up of interdependent components forming a unified whole
- an ordered manner; orderliness by virtue of being methodical and well organized
Word Origin
- system
- system: [17] A system is etymologically something that is ‘brought together’. The word comes via French système and late Latin systēma from Greek sústēma ‘combined or organized whole, formed from many parts’. This was a derivative of sunistánai ‘bring together, combine’, a compound verb formed from the prefix sun- ‘together’ and histánai ‘cause to stand’ (a relative of English stand).=> stand
- system (n.)
- 1610s, "the whole creation, the universe," from Late Latin systema "an arrangement, system," from Greek systema "organized whole, a whole compounded of parts," from stem of synistanai "to place together, organize, form in order," from syn- "together" (see syn-) + root of histanai "cause to stand" from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Meaning "set of correlated principles, facts, ideas, etc." first recorded 1630s. Meaning "animal body as an organized whole, sum of the vital processes in an organism" is recorded from 1680s; hence figurative phrase to get (something) out of one's system (1900). Computer sense of "group of related programs" is recorded from 1963. All systems go (1962) is from U.S. space program. The system "prevailing social order" is from 1806.