Embedded within and spread throughout and affecting a whole system, group, body, economy, market, or society.
"The company faced severe backlash after revealing that its systemic discrimination was deeply embedded in every level of hiring and promotion."
In plain English: Systemic means something that affects an entire system rather than just one part of it.
"The recent budget cuts had a systemic impact on public schools across the entire region."
Usage: Use systemic to describe problems that are embedded throughout an entire organization, ecosystem, or social structure rather than isolated incidents. This term is often confused with "systematic," which refers to something done according to a fixed plan or method.
The word systemic comes from combining the noun system with the suffix -ic. It entered English as a doublet alongside systematic, sharing the same roots but developing slightly different usage patterns over time.