système

Système is the French noun meaning system. It denotes a set of interacting or interdependent elements that form a complex, unified whole and operate according to an underlying organization or logic. Systems can be natural or artificial, concrete or abstract, and their study often focuses on structure, dynamics, boundaries, inputs, and outputs. The concept is central to fields as varied as biology, engineering, sociology, and information technology.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin systema, itself from Greek systēma, from syn- “together” and stēma “placing, that which is set up.” The term has a long historical usage in French and other languages to describe organized wholes.

In use, the term appears across domains: the solar system (système solaire), the nervous system (système nerveux), the immune system (système immunitaire). In French, phrases such as système d'exploitation (operating system), système d'information (information system), and système de transport (transport system) are common. In the social sciences, one speaks of a political system, an economic system, or an education system. In mathematics, a système d'équations or système de coordonnées denotes a collection of equations or coordinates that are solved or used collectively. Systems theory, or the study of complex systems, seeks general principles that apply across different kinds of systems.