A system call is a fundamental programming concept that refers to a request made by a program to the operating system. However, there are several other words that can be used as synonyms to the term system call. For instance, some users may refer to system calls as application programming interfaces (APIs). Others may use the terms operating system services, kernel services, or system routines interchangeably with system calls. Furthermore, some users may use more specific terms depending on the type of system call being made, such as file-related system calls, process-related system calls, or networking system calls. Regardless of the terminology used, the concept of a system call remains integral to modern programming and computer systems.