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system error

system error

1 4.1
A message that tells you the computer cannot follow an instruction
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪstəm ˈɛrər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : error del sistema
  • It's a system error.

Examples

  • If you found a system error, how were you going to fix it?

  • Sir, we got a system error.

  • It's a system error.

  • When the software crashed, the technician reported a system error that prevented any further actions.

  • The user received a system error message after attempting to access the files on the corrupted hard drive.

  • After installing the update, I encountered a system error that caused the application to malfunction.

Synonyms

bug
vssystem error
  • Specialized
211 2.8

An error in a computer program that makes it not work correctly

is a condition reported when an instruction is unrecognized or rules are broken
computer error
vssystem error
4 2.8

A problem in a computer that makes it give wrong or unexpected results

is a narrower condition about unrecognized instructions or rule violations
run-time error
vssystem error
  • Specialized
5.5

A problem that happens while a program is running because of wrong data or bad instructions

is instead a condition flagged when instructions are not recognized or rules broken

How Severe

critical
917 4.0
crash
  • Specialized
65 4.3
system error
  • Specialized
1 4.1
error
  • Specialized
300 3.0
warning
1.0

Surface Forms

system error singular
system errors plural

Morphology

system + error

The meaning 'an error related to or reported by the system' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'system' (a collection of interacting components) with 'error' (a fault or incorrect result). This noun–noun compound follows regular English composition patterns and has clear equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

System error comes from early computers: when one part could not follow a command, the whole system would show an error message or stop working. So a system error today is a message or problem that says a command is 'not recognized' or rules have been 'violated'.