instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
"he bought a new stereo system"
"the system consists of a motor and a small computer"
(physical chemistry) a sample of matter in which substances in different phases are in equilibrium
"in a static system oil cannot be replaced by water on a surface"
"a system generating hydrogen peroxide"
a complex of methods or rules governing behavior
"they have to operate under a system they oppose"
"that language has a complex system for indicating gender"
an organized structure for arranging or classifying
"he changed the arrangement of the topics"
"the facts were familiar but it was in the organization of them that he was original"
"he tried to understand their system of classification"
a group of physiologically or anatomically related organs or parts
"the body has a system of organs for digestion"
a procedure or process for obtaining an objective
"they had to devise a system that did not depend on cooperation"
the living body considered as made up of interdependent components forming a unified whole
"exercise helped him get the alcohol out of his system"
an ordered manner; orderliness by virtue of being methodical and well organized
"his compulsive organization was not an endearing quality"
"we can't do it unless we establish some system around here"
A collection of organized things; a whole composed of relationships among its members.
"The entire factory operates as a tightly integrated system where every machine and worker depends on the others to function efficiently."
Preceded by the word the: the mainstream culture, controlled by the elites or government of a state, or a combination of them, seen as oppressive to the individual.
"After years of struggling against censorship and conformity, he finally decided to leave the system behind."
In plain English: A system is a group of parts that work together to do something specific.
"The new computer system crashed right before the meeting started."
Usage: Use "system" alone when referring to any organized set of parts, but pair it with specific descriptors like "social," "political," or "economic" in formal contexts to avoid vague phrasing. Do not use the definite article "the" before abstract systems unless you are specifically critiquing an established oppressive structure as defined by sociologists and political theorists.
The word "system" entered English partly through Middle French and directly from Late Latin systēma, which originally referred to a harmony, musical scale, or organized group of objects. This concept traces back to Ancient Greek, where the term described a whole made up of several parts combined together.