plural noun
Connected groups of parts, people, or processes that work together for a purpose.
Modern transportation systems help people travel across a city.
The body's systems work together to keep us healthy.
American English
How to pronounce systems
nounB1Very common word
SIHStmz
/ˈsɪs.tm̩z/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of system
Connected groups of parts, people, or processes that work together for a purpose.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
plural noun
Organized ways of doing something, usually with rules or steps.
The stores use different payment systems.
We need better systems for handling customer complaints.
plural noun
Groups of computer programs and equipment that work together.
The company's computer systems need regular security updates.
The hospital replaced its information systems last year.
plural noun
The governments, laws, and institutions that organize societies, especially when people see them as unfair or difficult to change.
Political systems can change slowly.
Economic systems affect how wealth is distributed.
Useful expressions
The main software that controls a computer's basic functions.
My laptop runs a new operating system.
To find a way around rules or institutions, often to gain an advantage.
They found a legal way to beat the system.
To try to make changes by using existing rules and institutions.
She prefers to work within the system.