microscopic
adjective
mi·cro·scop·ic
ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pik 
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
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
Upstairs at Sperm Racing HQ is a lab stocked with racks of test tubes, centrifuges for separating out the most motile sperm from a sample, and little plastic slides containing new microscopic racecourses for frat-boy cum.
—
Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
This was made possible thanks to a new method of 'marking' the glass to store information – going from birefringent voxels that require a two-step process to create microscopic needle-like structures in the glass, to phase voxels that allow for faster reading and writing with simpler hardware.
—New Atlas, 21 Feb. 2026
Curling scandals look melodramatic from the outside because the margins are microscopic.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
In the warm, shallow waters of Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and the Indian River Lagoon, microscopic dinoflagellates (a kind of plankton) let off a bioluminescent glow in the water when moved, such as with a paddle stroke.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for microscopic
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Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
This was made possible thanks to a new method of 'marking' the glass to store information – going from birefringent voxels that require a two-step process to create microscopic needle-like structures in the glass, to phase voxels that allow for faster reading and writing with simpler hardware.
—New Atlas, 21 Feb. 2026
Curling scandals look melodramatic from the outside because the margins are microscopic.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
In the warm, shallow waters of Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and the Indian River Lagoon, microscopic dinoflagellates (a kind of plankton) let off a bioluminescent glow in the water when moved, such as with a paddle stroke.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for microscopic
Cite this Entry
“Microscopic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microscopic. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
microscopic
adjective
mi·cro·scop·ic
ˌmī-krə-ˈskäp-ik
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
Medical Definition
microscopic
adjective
mi·cro·scop·ic
ˌmī-krə-ˈskäp-ik
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
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