microcosm

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

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

The village is a microcosm of the whole country.

The game was a microcosm of the entire season.

Recent Examples on the Web

Then came a series defeat against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with two home run balls against Kenley Jansen in the ninth of the series finale serving as another microcosm of Detroit’s wobbly season. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Iowa's 1st District is a microcosm of the state, largely rural with urban and suburban pockets. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

The clash in Doña Ana is a microcosm of battles brewing across the US and abroad, as tech firms urgently shift from working in the shadows to trying to win over an increasingly skeptical public. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

The two regular season games against Chicago provided a microcosm of Nixon’s inconsistent season. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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