■ noun
1》 a complex whole; a set of things working together as a mechanism or interconnecting network.
↘the human or animal body as a whole.
2》 an organized scheme or method.
↘orderliness; method.
3》 ( the ~ ) the prevailing political or social order, especially when regarded as oppressive and intransigent.
4》 Geology a major range of strata corresponding to a period in time.
5》 Music a set of staves joined by a brace.
Phrases
get something out of one's ~ informal get rid of a preoccupation or anxiety.
Derivatives
~less adjective
Origin
C17: from Fr. système or late L. ~a , from Gk sustēma , from sun- 'with' + histanai 'set up'.