macro

adjective mac·ro \ ˈma-(ˌ)krō \

|Updated on: 19 Aug 2018

Definition of macro

1 : being large, thick, or exceptionally prominent

2 a : of, involving, or intended for use with relatively large quantities or on a large scale

b : of or relating to macroeconomics

3 : gross 1b

4 : of or relating to a macro lens or to close-up photography

Recent Examples of macro from the Web

At the macro level, the Subaru brand has always been pitched as resisting mainstream mentalities—a lighter touch, a smarter choice, generally cooler, definitely younger.

— dan neil, WSJ, "2019 Subaru Ascent: A Bigger, Better Family SUV," 12 July 2018
But on a macro level, the NBA is an environment largely shaped by externalities, an aggregate sum of hundreds of cases of individual self-interest and their exponents.

— david murphy, Philly.com, "How LeBron James' decision may change Sixers' Star Hunt approach | David Murphy," 2 July 2018
Here’s my macro statement based on judgment rather than scientific surveys.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Former NSA and CIA director General Michael Hayden on Recode Decode," 19 June 2018
As the macro economy continues to strengthen, that might mean fewer people going to ... platforms like Uber and TaskRabbit.

— carolyn said, SFChronicle.com, "Why the robot apocalypse won’t kill all gig economy jobs," 16 June 2018
That macro-view doesn’t even begin to account for the startups.

— andy patrizio, Ars Technica, "The AI revolution has spawned a new chips arms race," 9 July 2018
What makes some sense in micro can still be puzzling in macro.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "Trade Grades: Charlotte, Chicago and Orlando Complete Pragmatic Three-Team Trade," 8 July 2018
But this macro trend, while upsetting, is important to flag: Historically, the majority of suicide deaths have been among boys and men.

— kristen bellstrom, Fortune, "Sarah Huckabee Sanders, London Breed, Nicki Minaj: Broadsheet June 15," 15 June 2018
Meanwhile, the traditional macro-brewing companies have purchased independent brands, experimented with different recipes and marketed beers to connect with customers' identities while also helping to support clean water and U.S. veterans.

— robert allen, Detroit Free Press, "Labatt Blue releases cans featuring top Michigan landmarks," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'macro.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of macro

macr-

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1923

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

macro

noun

Definition of macro

plural macros

: a single computer instruction that stands for a sequence of operations

See macro defined for English-language learners

See macro defined for kids

Recent Examples of macro from the Web

Today’s Louis Vuitton show was that moment in macro.

— the editors of gq, GQ, "Our Favorite Moments from Virgil Abloh's Louis Vuitton Debut," 21 June 2018
But this initial segment gives viewers an idea of what’s in store: the stakes throughout Solo never veer too far into the macro-fate of the Universe, and action itself largely carries the film.

— nathan mattise, Ars Technica, "Solo film review: Best when it embraces its favorite action-movie urges," 24 May 2018
Every save, every scoring chance, every puck-handle is catalogued in a software program called Hudl and tagged with a macro for easy recall.

— alex prewitt, SI.com, "Learning to Deal With the Little Things Has Capitals' Braden Holtby on the Verge of a Stanley Cup," 5 June 2018
Also, the micro with this team is much better than the macro.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: Trump kicks the NFL, Chiefs fans are cocky (?) and Mahomes' endorsements," 5 June 2018
The keys are clicky and take some getting used to, but at least are RGB backlit and programmable for macros.

— stefan etienne, The Verge, "New gaming laptops haven’t solved the battery life problem," 30 May 2018
Remember: Just because something fits your macros, doesn’t mean it’s super healthful and providing a balance of nutrients.

— daniel schultz, ms, SELF, "Here’s What You Should Know Before Going on the Keto Diet," 16 Apr. 2018
This keyboard includes full n-key rollover, anti-ghosting, on-the-fly macro recording, six macro keys, and a media control panel.

— ian paul, PCWorld, "Boost your setup with big deals on near-perfect G.Skill gaming peripherals," 5 Apr. 2018
And, as was the case with GIFs, older formats like image macros found all new uses.

— angela watercutter, WIRED, "The WIRED Guide to Memes," 1 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of macro

short for macroinstruction

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1959

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Computer-Related Terms

adware, flash, kludge, phishing, recursive, router

MACRO Defined for English Language Learners

macro

noun

Definition of macro for English Language Learners

computers : a set of instructions that causes a computer to perform a series of tasks

Medical Dictionary

macro

adjective mac·ro \ ˈmak-(ˌ)rō \

medical Definition of macro

1 : large, thick, or excessively developed

macro layer of the cerebral cortex

2 a : of or involving large quantities : intended for use with large quantities

a macro procedure in analysis

carrying out a test on a macro scale

b : gross 1b

the macro appearance of a specimen

Learn More about macro

Nglish: Translation of macro for Spanish speakers

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macro

Definition of macro

Recent Examples of macro from the Web

Origin and Etymology of macro

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

macro

Definition of macro

Recent Examples of macro from the Web

Origin and Etymology of macro

Other Computer-Related Terms

MACRO Defined for English Language Learners

macro

Definition of macro for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

macro

medical Definition of macro

Learn More about macro

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