microscopic

adjective

mi·​cro·​scop·​ic ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pik How to pronounce microscopic (audio)
variants or less commonly microscopical
1
: resembling a microscope especially in perception
2
a
: invisible or indistinguishable without the use of a microscope
b
: very small or fine or precise
3
: of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope or microscopy
microscopically adverb

Examples of microscopic in a Sentence

At this point, the embryo is a microscopic clump of only 100 cells. There is a microscopic crack in the diamond. He has a microscopic attention span. He recorded every aspect of his trip in microscopic detail. a microscopic study of plant tissues
Recent Examples on the Web An increase in the growth of macro and microscopic algal blooms has been documented around the world in freshwater and saltwater bodies. The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 Scientists are mapping this frontier, which may bolster our vision and eye health from this microscopic level. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon will each be the subject of their own solo films directed by Sam Mendes, who is taking a microscopic approach to the usually overarching music biopic narrative. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2024 Some of these features appear monumental, while others could be microscopic. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 And even if your skin doesn’t look like the lunar surface, dry skin is still cracking at the microscopic level. Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 Warmer water helps phytoplankton, microscopic plant-like organisms that form the base of the food web, bloom. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Chiral’s approach makes use of nanotechnology, working with materials such as graphene in microscopic quantities. David Prosser, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Optical discs such as CDs and DVDs encode data using a series of microscopic pits. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'microscopic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of microscopic was circa 1672

Dictionary Entries Near microscopic

Cite this Entry

“Microscopic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microscopic. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

microscopic

adjective
mi·​cro·​scop·​ic ˌmī-krə-ˈskäp-ik How to pronounce microscopic (audio)
variants also microscopical
1
: of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope or microscopy
a microscopic examination
2
: resembling a microscope : able to see very tiny objects
some insects have microscopic vision
3
: able to be seen only through a microscope : very small
a microscopic plant
microscopically adverb

Medical Definition

microscopic

adjective
mi·​cro·​scop·​ic ˌmī-krə-ˈskäp-ik How to pronounce microscopic (audio)
variants or microscopical
1
: of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope or microscopy
2
: so small or fine as to be invisible or indistinguishable without the use of a microscope compare macroscopic, submicroscopic, ultramicroscopic sense 1
microscopically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on microscopic

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