microscopic

adjective

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mi·cro·scop·ic | \ ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pik

variants: or less commonly microscopical \ ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pi-kəl

Definition of microscopic

1 : resembling a microscope especially in perception

2a : 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

Other Words from microscopic Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About microscopic

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 The knowledge that a microscopic amount of lethal poison is in every slice of fugu sashimi immeasurably intensifies the experience of every bite, no matter how trusted the chef. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2022 Bell, then 27, had sustained multiple brain bleeds and microscopic tears in his brain’s white matter, a result of shearing that occurred when his brain suddenly shifted directions, said his former wife, Sunrise. — New York Times, 4 Jan. 2022 In the study Oriti and his co-author Xiankai Pang, both at the University of Munich in Germany, focused first on developing a new quantum gravity model by trying to better understand the force’s properties at the microscopic level. — Conor Purcell, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2021 The human body can be thought of as a complex chemical factory with different processes occurring simultaneously at the microscopic level. — Anna Powers, Forbes, 30 Aug. 2021 On Thursday, 128 baby bobtail squid and about 5,000 microscopic animals launched aboard Space X's Falcon 9 rocket on a mission to the ISS. — Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 3 June 2021 At a glance, these xenobots might be mistaken for other microscopic aquatic animals — amoebas or plankton or Giardia parasites — swimming here and there with apparent agency. — Quanta Magazine, 31 Mar. 2021 Some new research efforts include metallic nanoparticle drugs that coax stem cells to replenish bone tissues, and appropriating proteins from nearly indestructible microscopic animals called tardigrades to work in human cells. — Shi En Kim, Science, 2 Dec. 2020 Zooplankton are microscopic animals found mainly in the water column. — Jason Treat, Magazine, 17 Nov. 2020

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

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Dictionary Entries Near microscopic

microscope

microscopic

Microscopium

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Last Updated

18 Jan 2022

Cite this Entry

“Microscopic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microscopic. Accessed 24 Jan. 2022.

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More Definitions for microscopic

microscopic

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of microscopic

: able to be seen only through a microscope : extremely small

: much smaller than what is usual, normal, or expected

: done with a microscope

See the full definition for microscopic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

microscopic

adjective

mi·cro·scop·ic | \ ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pik

Kids Definition of microscopic

1 : of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope a microscopic examination

2 : so small as to be visible only through a microscope : very tiny a microscopic crack

microscopic

adjective

mi·cro·scop·ic | \ ˌmī-krə-ˈskäp-ik

variants: or microscopical \ -i-kəl

Medical Definition of microscopic

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