When and where: Two weekends ago, I was out and about with my friend Mo. We were discussing the situation in Syria, and Mo referred to the genocide as a "systemic destruction of the people". My brain seemed to take special notice of the word systemic, not because I didn't understand it, but because I realized that I have used this word without really having an entire understanding of the word. Thinking about the word, I usually use it (or hear it used) to discuss something that is total or with a system (pattern or method).
Level of familiarity: I knew the word and understood the context, but I was confused as to why "systematic" wasn't used instead. "Systematic" and systemic seem to mean almost the same thing to me and I can't figure out what the difference really is.
What it means: Merriam Webster online dictionary defines systemic as an adjective that refers to the whole (being the whole body or whole group). The online dictionary defines "systematic" an adjective that describes something that is done in a pattern or by a method.
Reflective commentary: In my conversation with Mo, I think that either systemic or systematic would be used appropriately because both are true for the situation. I believe that other times I have heard or used systemic it should have been replaced with systematic. The main difference is that systemic refers to the object being affected and systematic refers to the process by which the object is affected.
No comments:
Post a Comment