That may help explain why some people use systematic when they might, more accurately or technically, mean systemic, especially when referring to the concept of systemic racism. In this article, we’ll explain the difference between systemic and systematic, how you can tell them apart, and provide tips on how to use them correctly. We’ll also explain the meaning of systemic racism and how it fits into the discussion of these two words. Two common adjectives, systemic and systematic, are often used interchangeably.

‘Systematic’ or ‘Systemic’?

1. In common practice, it is often used to describe all sorts of things, like dry rot, racism, or inefficiency.
2. For instance, an employer (in gross violation of law) would engage in systematic discrimination if it refused to interview any person who applied for a job if they were Indigenous, for example.
3. But less obvious, and more insidious, is systemic racism.
4. The term can also imply a thoroughness that comes from using or applying such a system.

Systemic is a difficult word, and problems, like racism, that are characterized as systemic can be difficult to grasp. Plus, systemic is extremely similar, in both sound and sense, to the word systematic. Compared to systematic, systemic is the newer word, dating back to between 1795–1805. Systemic was formed within English as a combination of the word system and –ic, an adjective suffix commonly and originally appearing in Greek and Latin loanwords (e.g., public, metallic, poetic). Some of the earliest uses of systemic referred to diseases that affected more than one organ system (such as the circulatory system or digestive system). Systemic especially refers to diseases that affect the whole body.

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To describe racism as systemic, for example, is to say that racism is fostered and perpetuated by the system in power; someone looking for systemic change wants the fundamental practices of a system to change. The words systemic and systematic are both adjectives that come from the noun system. While they can each be used to broadly mean “relating to a system,” their usual jobs are distinct.

Systemic describes what relates to or affects an entire system. For example, a systemic disease affects the entire body or organism, and systemic changes to an organization have an impact on the entire organization, including its most basic operations. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘systemic.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Systemic is somewhat more formal, and it is primarily used to describe what relates to an entire system, be that system physical, organizational, or societal. A systemic disease affects the entire body or organism; systemic changes to an organization impact the entire organization; and a systemic problem in a society pervades the entire society.

Commonly Confused

A lack of communication certainly impairs planning, but the main idea of the sentence is that communication problems affected everything the business was doing; systemic is the best word choice. Especially when talking about social institutions like government or healthcare, systemic is used when discussing something that affects the whole—systemic problems, systemic change. Systemic is also used specifically to identify something as fundamental to a predominant social, economic, or political practice. Something described as “systemic” in this sense of the word is rooted in the system that holds sway.

These words actually have different meanings, though, and while it is possible for something to be both systemic and systematic, in most cases only one of these words is correct. But less obvious, and more insidious, is systemic racism. Systemic is an adjective that means “of or relating to a system.” It is especially used to describe some phenomenon—an illness, a social problem—that affects every part of an entire system. Some near synonyms to systemic are structural, comprehensive, inherent, pervasive, ingrained, and extensive. Besides a plan or method, a system, as we saw in our first section, can also mean a group of parts or things that come together to form a whole; systemic draws on this sense of system. In current English, it is most often used to describe something that uses or applies a careful system or method, or that is done according to a system.

It helps to know a little history and anatomy when it comes to the word systemic. In biology, a system can refer to the cells and organs that work together to accomplish the same goal (such as the immune system) or to the entire organism (e.g., chocolate is toxic to a dog’s system). So, if you do something in a systematic way or do something systematically, you have a method to your madness.

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I will use each of these words in various example sentences, so you can see them in context. As the saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. When you don’t use words carefully, you might get close enough to coherence that someone could interpret what you meant with only minimal difficulty, but it still makes for poor writing. Of course, once again, systematic and systemic are just two letters and one syllable apart, and are both based on system—not to mention the fact that a system is a fairly abstract, sophisticated concept to begin with. Learn much more about the urgent topic of systemic racism in our About This Word section on racism on our definition page. English has many confusing words, but with hard work and great resources, you can avoid simple mistakes and improve the quality of your writing.

Systemic and systematic are both adjectives, but their uses are different. To be systematic about using this confusing pair and avoid systemic errors, here are two interrelated tips. For example, some banks are so central to the global economy that they are considered systemic banks by certain oversight or regulatory agencies.

Be sure to check this site any time you have questions about difficult words or other writing topics. Plus, I will show you a mnemonic that you can use to decide whether to use systematic or systemic in your own writing. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and the purpose of depreciation is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Systematic racism, if you were to use the phrase, would more closely resemble explicit racism. For instance, an employer (in gross violation of law) would engage in systematic discrimination if it refused to interview any person who applied for a job if they were Indigenous, for example.

You’re not doing things randomly; you’re organized and structured in some way. To understand the difference between systematic and systemic, it helps to break down the word system. That’s because systematic and systemic draw on slightly different senses of the word system in English.

Via Latin, systematic ultimately comes from the Greek systēmatikós, an adjective form of the tax break definition root sýstēma, source of system.