Definition of MICROCOSM

Other Words from microcosm

microcosmic \ ˌmī-krə-ˈkäz-mik

\ adjective

microcosmically \ ˌmī-krə-ˈkäz-mi-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

Did You Know?

A microcosm is a "little world" - "mikros kosmos" in Greek. The Greek term was modified to "microcosmus" in Medieval Latin. When early medieval scholars referred to humans as miniature embodiments of the natural universe, they either employed the Latin word microcosmus or they used the English translation, "less world." "Man is callyd the lasse worlde, for he shewyth in hymselfe lyknesse of all the worlde," wrote John Trevisa when he translated the Latin text of Bartholomaeus Anglicus’ encyclopedia in the 14th century. But by the 15th century scholars had adopted an anglicized version of the Latin word, the word we use today - "microcosm."

Examples of microcosm in a Sentence

The village is a microcosm of the whole country. The game was a microcosm of the entire season.

Recent Examples on the Web

The lollipop loop itself is a microcosm of all the park has to offer with marshes, ponds, swamps and black oak savannas, eventually snaking steeply up wooded dunes to a blockbuster panorama. — Michael Schroeder, Washington Post, "Visiting the nation’s newest national park: Indiana Dunes," 7 June 2019 Cousins’ Game 3 was a microcosm of his regular season. — Matt Schneidman, The Mercury News, "Unpredictability of Warriors’ centers might be cause for concern," 5 June 2019 This opening level is, in microcosm, the entire Hitman 2 experience. — Julie Muncy, Ars Technica, "Hitman 2 review: Accessible stealth oozing with style," 16 Nov. 2018 What’s happening in Austin is a microcosm of the nationwide effort to let entrepreneurs and military meet face-to-face. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Disrupting the Pentagon: Can the Air Force Learn To Love Startup Culture?," 12 Apr. 2019 Come show season, plebeian spots like JFK and Charles de Gaulle become microcosms full of models, Hollywood personalities, and editors in looks that are nap-ready yet obviously super chic. — Vogue, "5 Airport Style Lessons From Fashion Month’s Off-Duty Stars," 12 Mar. 2019 As the historical big picture takes shape, the narrative returns frequently to the microcosm of the train station. — Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, "'Detroit: Comeback City' documentary is personal, and that's a good thing," 1 July 2018 The girls also provide a handy window to the world the series is set in, and director Saverio Costanzo (who helms all eight episodes) turns the little plaza the girls’ shabby apartment buildings surround into a microcosm of the world at large. — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "HBO’s My Brilliant Friend adaptation is a knockout," 18 Nov. 2018 Long seen as a microcosm of Nigeria, the region of six million people is divided between a Christian south and Muslim north, separated by a river. — Joe Parkinson, WSJ, "Nigeria Braces for Climax of Rancorous Presidential Showdown," 15 Feb. 2019

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