Synonym Chooser

How is the word system different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of system are fashion, manner, method, mode, and way. While all these words mean "the means taken or procedure followed in achieving an end," system suggests a fully developed or carefully formulated method often emphasizing rational orderliness.

a filing system

When might fashion be a better fit than system?

While in some cases nearly identical to system, fashion may suggest a peculiar or characteristic way of doing something.

rushing about in his typical fashion

How do manner and mode relate to one another, in the sense of system?

Manner is close to mode but may imply a procedure or method that is individual or distinctive.

an odd manner of conducting

When would method be a good substitute for system?

The words method and system can be used in similar contexts, but method implies an orderly logical arrangement usually in steps.

effective teaching methods

When is it sensible to use mode instead of system?

The meanings of mode and system largely overlap; however, mode implies an order or course followed by custom, tradition, or personal preference.

the preferred mode of transportation

When can way be used instead of system?

The words way and system are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, way is very general and may be used for any of the preceding words.

has her own way of doing things

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of system In compensation, Google offered a third-party system from its new partner ADT. ArsTechnica, 28 Mar. 2025 Workers need lifeline but struggle to get it The lawsuit, Okamura v. Employment Development Department, has highlighted a longstanding issue in California’s unemployment insurance system. Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2025 Hinshelwood, born 20 miles away in Chichester, has come through the academy coaching system from a small boy to star in the first team and to be fast-tracked into the England’s under-21s at 19. Andy Naylor, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 The city's elevated rapid transit system and subway shut down. Time, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for system
Recent Examples of Synonyms for system
Noun
  • Across four days, an array of artists perform live at the city’s vast network of independent venues.
    Thomas Smith, Billboard, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The network and Ramsay’s Studio Ramsay Global are also teaming up to launch a digital culinary and entertainment brand called Bite.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Trump has upended the global trading system that has been in place for over 75 years with a plan for tariffs on products from across the world.
    Chris Prentice, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The budget plan also would cut significant funding for the District of Columbia government, including its school system.
    David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Equally valuable is the platform's ability to connect agents to enterprise data through various methods, including standard protocols and direct API integration.
    Maribel Lopez, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The Associated Press | Jose Luis Magana Trump’s tough methods to eject migrants may be controversial in some U.S. courts, but Americans generally favor his overall goals to thwart crime and deport millions of people who lack legal status, according to recent polls.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • However, Keena said that strategy may not be as effective this time around.
    Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
  • And while Orban has boasted that his party has shared his strategies with Trump advisers, Kreko doubts the help was very meaningful.
    Rob Schmitz, NPR, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Given the number of cardinals whom Pope Francis has appointed — 111 out of the 141 who would vote for the next pope — his successor is likely to be from the Global South and more progressive in theology and approach than Pope John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI, who preceded Pope Francis.
    Joshua Stanton, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Detroit is a turnover-prone team, and the Knicks’ approach defensively, while risky against someone of Cunningham’s abilities, was conducive to forcing the offense into a mistake.
    James L. Edwards III, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Brookings Institution, a centrist think tank, has presented its own bipartisan blueprint for making the system solvent.
    Dennis W. Jansen, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The April 9 Executive Order The April 9 Executive Order goes far beyond non-binding DOJ Task Force advocacy, by creating a blueprint for direct government action against anticompetitive rules.
    Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Accreditation bodies, which significantly influence educational legitimacy, resisted these new methodologies, highlighting the systemic barriers to change.
    Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Between 2021 and 2023, the state’s vacation buyback program paid employees $288 million for unused hours.
    Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Portal builds a team, but culture develops a program.
    Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“System.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/system. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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