Systematic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌsɪs.tɪˈmæt.ɪk/

Definitions

1. Employing a methodical strategy and consistent organization in various processes
2. Relating to a structured and methodical approach that ensures consistency and order throughout a process or system
3. Done using an organized method that follows a clear plan ; connected with or influencing a whole system as a unit

Etymology: Greek "sustēma" meant something put together: a composite, a whole made of parts that had been set alongside one another. Its adjective, "sustēmatikos", described things that were arranged or combined in that deliberate way, and Late Latin took it over as "systēmaticus". The word reached English by way of that Latin, and the Latin sense of arrangement, rather than the modern idea of a neat, rule-following mind, is what the English adjective started from. English built its form on "system", a noun that came into the language through the same Greek and Latin route, and attached the suffix "-atic", which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "relating to" or "having the character of". So "systematic" literally means "having to do with a system". The French "systématique" and Italian "sistematico" descend from the same Latin source, so the three languages share a single inheritance here.

Synonyms: methodical, organized, structured, orderly, planned

Antonyms: disorganized, chaotic, random