SYSTEM | Meaning, Definition In Cambridge English Dictionary

Meaning of system in English systemnoun uk /ˈsɪs.təm/ us /ˈsɪs.təm/

system noun (SET)

Add to word list Add to word list B1 [ C ] a set of connected things or devices that operate together: a central heating system B1 [ C ] a set of computer equipment and programs used together for a particular purpose: The system keeps crashing and no one is able to figure out why. C2 [ C ] a set of organs or structures in the body that have a particular purpose: the immune system the nervous system [ C ] the way that the body works, especially the way that it digests food and passes out waste products: A run in the morning is good for the system - it wakes the body up and gets everything going.

• Hot water circulates through the heating system.
• There appears to be a problem with the patient's respiratory system.
• A heavy fall of snow had disrupted the city's transport system.
• The accident was caused by the failure of the reactor's cooling system.
• Drink a lot of water to flush the toxins out of your system.

Classifying and creating order

• alphabetize
• anti-hierarchical
• arrange
• arrangement
• arranger
• describe
• microcosmic
• microcosmically
• miscatalogue
• misclassification
• misclassify
• set something up phrasal verb
• shake someone down phrasal verb
• short-list
• shortlist
• sort
• ungrouped
• unsorted
• unstratified
• unstructured

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Computer concepts Substances & structures in the body The body

system noun (METHOD)

B2 [ C ] a way of doing things: We'll have to develop a better filing system. Under this system, many people were prevented from voting. The legal system operates very differently in the US and Britain. B2 [ C ] a particular method of counting, measuring, or weighing things: the metric system of measuring and weighing [ U ] approving the intentional and organized use of a system: There doesn't seem to be any system to the books on these shelves - they're certainly not in alphabetical order.  the system disapproving unfair laws and rules that prevent people from being able to improve their situation: He has his own ways of beating the system, making sure that he has good relationships with influential people.

• After the trial, his family said they had lost all faith in the judicial system.
• Pregnant women are exempt from dental charges under the current health system.
• Do you understand the system of classification used in ornithology?
• The present voting system distorts the wishes of the electorate.
• The present tax system penalizes poor people.

Ways of achieving things

• a means to an end idiom
• actively
• another
• avenue
• bases
• basis
• catch (someone) up phrasal verb
• formula
• measure
• media
• method
• methodological
• methodologically
• procedure
• sop
• standard operating procedure
• strategy
• styleless
• stylistic
• vehicle

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Classifying and creating order Measuring & weighing Rules & laws

Idiom

get something out of your system (Definition of system from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

system | American Dictionary

systemnoun [ C ] us /ˈsɪs·təm/

system noun [C] (SET)

Add to word list Add to word list a set of connected items or devices that operate together: the system of interstate highways We’re having a new computer system installed. In the body, a system is a set of organs or structures that have a particular job to do: the digestive system

system noun [C] (METHOD)

a way of doing things; a method: My assistant will explain the system for filing a medical claim. Under the US legal system, an accused person is innocent until proven guilty. A system is also a particular method of counting, measuring, or weighing things: the metric system (Definition of system from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

system | Business English

systemnoun [ C ] uk /ˈsɪstəm/ us Add to word list Add to word list a particular set of actions for doing something: They designed a system that tracks results.a system for (doing) sth The bank has streamlined systems for switching accounts.a system of (doing) sth The core of the fraud was a system of double billing. a complaints/tax/trading system The quota system limits the volumes of clothing that China can ship to the US. a group of organizations that work together for a particular purpose, or have similar activities: the criminal justice system the legal/financial system Countries with better banking systems should have easier access to money at lower interest rates than those that do not. MEASURES a particular method of counting, measuring, or weighing things: the metric system a set of connected machines, etc. that operate together: They design and build solar electric systems. We need to install a sprinkler system. IT a set of computer equipment and programs used together for a particular purpose: At the moment, the company spends around €1million a year on its IT systems. I can't process the order right now because our systems are down. You need a password to get onto the system.

See also

accounting system computer system decision support system digital nervous system disk operating system economic system environmental management system expert system filing system fixed instalment system the Hay system hub-and-spoke system human resource information system imputation system information system kanban legal system management information system manufacturing information system monetary system open system operating system pull system push system reward system strategic information system (Definition of system from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of system

system Recent years have seen considerable progress in the development of chemical self-replicating systems. From the Cambridge English Corpus Bilingual acquisition : criteria for establishing one vs. two systems in early syntactic development. From the Cambridge English Corpus They accept that legal systems may exist and that, if they do, their content may be wholly determinate. From the Cambridge English Corpus Party-based systems create career incentives for the legislator to support the overall aims of the parties. From the Cambridge English Corpus The 1859 law allowed the registration of haciendas and labour contracts, but the $.10 per contract charge acted as a disincentive to the system's use. From the Cambridge English Corpus Despite the variety of systems, the objectives guiding these reforms have been rather similar. From the Cambridge English Corpus In different countries and/or health systems, this may mean from national to regional or from regional to municipal. From the Cambridge English Corpus A consensus has emerged that sound management of health care systems makes a significant contribution to the international competitiveness of a country. From the Cambridge English Corpus Few systems range over an entire twenty-point scale; in fact, the average range of party systems is 12.24 points. From the Cambridge English Corpus Extremists of this view, called 'instrumentalists', believe that all or most knowledge productivity will increase provided the right information systems are implemented. From the Cambridge English Corpus Moreover, it is desirable that agent-oriented development environments can support scalability and heterogeneity aspects of multi-agent systems. From the Cambridge English Corpus A balanced combination of declarative and imperative languages is desirable for implementing multi-agent systems. From the Cambridge English Corpus One is the difficulty with debugging different parts of multi-agent systems. From the Cambridge English Corpus In this paper, we put forward the environment as a first-order abstraction in multiagent systems. From the Cambridge English Corpus The data also raise questions about government stability in majoritarian and proportional systems. From the Cambridge English Corpus See all examples of system These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with system

system

These are words often used in combination with system.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

adaptive systemThis procedure is in complete agreement with our conception of local adaptation, and is a characteristic feature of complex adaptive system. From the Cambridge English Corpus   advanced systemHowever, the most advanced system of individual identification in the last century + fingerprinting + does not seem to fit well into this scheme. From the Cambridge English Corpus   aeration systemThe aeration system is activated when the air temperature inside the greenhouse is higher than the soil temperature. From the Cambridge English Corpus   These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. See all collocations with system What is the pronunciation of system?

Translations of system

in Chinese (Traditional) 一套, （協同工作的）系統, （電腦）系統… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 一套, （协同工作的）系统, （计算机）系统… See more in Spanish sistema, sistema corporal, método… See more in Portuguese sistema, sistema [masculine]… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian प्रणाली, एकत्र काम करणाऱ्या जोडलेल्या गोष्टी किंवा उपकरणांचा संच, पध्दत… See more システム（ステレオシステムやアラームシステムのように機材をつないだもの）, 手順, 方法… See more düzen, yol, metod… See more système [masculine], système, organisme… See more sistema, mètode… See more stelsel, gestel, systeem… See more இணைக்கப்பட்ட விஷயங்கள் அல்லது ஒன்றாக செயல்படும் சாதனங்களின் தொகுப்பு, காரியங்களைச் செய்வதற்கான ஒரு வழி, பொருட்களை எண்ணுதல்… See more व्यवस्था, प्रणाली, सिस्टम… See more પ્રણાલી, સિસ્ટમ, પદ્ધતિ… See more system, -system, kroppen… See more system, kroppen, metod… See more sistem, tubuh badan, kaedah… See more das System, das Netz, der Organismus… See more system [neuter], system, organisme… See more نظام, سسٹم, نظم… See more система, організм, мережа… See more యంత్రం, కనెక్ట్ చేయబడిన విషయాలు లేక కలిసి పనిచేసే పరికరాల సమితి, పద్ధతి… See more পদ্ধতি, ব্যবস্থা, গণনা… See more systém, organismus, metoda… See more jaringan, tubuh manusia, sistem… See more ระบบ, รูปร่าง, ระบอบ… See more hệ thống, cơ thể con người, chế độ… See more system, układ, sieć… See more 시스템, 제도, 체계… See more sistema, organismo, metodo… See more Need a translator?

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syrinx BETA syrup syrupy systaltic system system administrator BETA system integrator system operator BETA system software {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

More meanings of system

• autonomic nervous system
• central nervous system
• immune system
• metric system
• nervous system
• operating system
• peripheral nervous system

See all meanings

• buck the system idiom
• play the system idiom
• the limbic system phrase
• a shock to the system phrase
• get something out of your system idiom

See all idioms and phrases

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• English   
  • Noun 
    • system (SET)
    • system (METHOD)
    • the system
• American   
  • Noun 
    • system (SET)
    • system (METHOD)
• Business   Noun
• Examples
• Collocations

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