systemic

4 definitions • 5 examples

A systemic drug, disease, or poison reaches and has an effect on the whole of a body or a plant and not just one part of it.

A systemic problem or change is a basic one, experienced by the whole of an organization or a country and not just particular parts of it:

The current recession is the result of a systemic change within the structure of the country's economy.

relating to or involving a whole system:

The problems are systemic and will only worsen.

relating to or affecting the whole of a system, organization, etc. rather than just some parts of it:

These problems, far from being transitory, are systemic.

The evidence suggests systemic failures on the part of the company's managers.

We need a systemic change.