Translate system | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of system
noun
1a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole, in particular. a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network:the state railroad system fluid is pushed through a system of pipes or channels Physiology a set of organs in the body with a common structure or function:the digestive system the human or animal body as a whole:you need to get the cholesterol out of your system Computing a group of related hardware units or programs or both, especially when dedicated to a single application. Geology (in chronostratigraphy) a major range of strata that corresponds to a period in time, subdivided into series. Astronomy a group of celestial objects connected by their mutual attractive forces, especially moving in orbits about a center:the system of bright stars known as the Gould Belt
2a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method:a multiparty system of government the public school system orderliness; method:there was no system at all in the company a method of choosing one’s procedure in gambling. a set of rules used in measurement or classification:the metric system (
the system)
the prevailing political or social order, especially when regarded as oppressive and intransigent:don’t try bucking the system
3 Music a set of staves in a musical score joined by a brace.