microcosm

1 of 2

noun

mi·​cro·​cosm ˈmī-krə-ˌkä-zəm 

1

: a little world

especially : the human race or human nature seen as an epitome (see epitome sense 1) of the world or the universe

2

: a community or other unity that is an epitome (see epitome sense 2) of a larger unity

The suburb has been the microcosm of the city.

microcosmic

ˌmī-krə-ˈkäz-mik 

adjective

microcosmically

ˌmī-krə-ˈkäz-mi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

see also:

in microcosm

microcosmic

2 of 2

adjective

mi·​cro·​cos·​mic ¦mīkrō¦käzmik 

-mēk

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a microcosm

the microcosmic world of business

—American Fabrics

microcosmically

-mə̇k(ə)lē 

-mēk-, 

-li

adverb

Did you know?

Small wonder that the oldest meaning of microcosm in our dictionary is “little world”: the word comes ultimately from the Greek phrase mikros kosmos, meaning “little universe.” That meaning can be applied to many a wee realm, as in “the microcosm of the atom,” but microcosm was originally used by medieval scholars specifically to refer to humans as miniature embodiments of the natural universe. Microcosm soon expanded to refer to places (such as neighborhoods or other communities) thought to embody at a small scale characteristics of larger places, and later to anything serving as an apt representation of something bigger—as when Arthur C. Clarke, famed author of much fiction and nonfiction set in the cosmos, noted that “a sunken ship is a microcosm of the civilization that launched it.”

Examples of microcosm in a Sentence

Noun

The village is a microcosm of the whole country.

The game was a microcosm of the entire season.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The third inning may have been a microcosm of the Angels franchise today. — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

The shrinekeeper greets bar patrons, gives them nicknames, will learn to recognize regulars, plays games of chess alone and with guests, and accepts tips that manifest into permanent flora or small totems within the microcosm of the work. — Gabriella Angeleti, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026

Casemiro’s performance against Japan was a microcosm of his past three seasons at club level. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026

Practitioners understand their own bodies to be a microcosm of the entire cosmos based on the idea that everything stems from the same Dao. — Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Medieval Latin microcosmus, modification of Greek mikros kosmos

Adjective

New Latin microcosmicus, from Medieval Latin microcosmus microcosm + Latin -icus -ic

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing microcosm

• in microcosm

Rhymes for microcosm

• macrocosm

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Kids Definition

microcosm

noun

mi·​cro·​cosm ˈmī-krə-ˌkäz-əm 

: an individual or community thought of as a miniature universe or a world in itself