microscopic

adjective

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

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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

Their stings, which come from microscopic spears, are produced by the fastest known motion in the animal world. — Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, "Fascinating jellyfish science told as a personal journey," 24 Feb. 2018 Your skin plays host to microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and even microscopic mites. — Jessica Toscano, SELF, "Here's How Often You Should Really Clean Your Yoga Mat," 12 Apr. 2019 Crime scene investigators often rely on microscopic examinations to catch a perpetrator. — Tony Rizzo, kansascity, "Guess what clue led investigators to this suspect in church burglary | The Kansas City Star," 27 Feb. 2018 But there was nothing unusual in his physical condition, even after a microscopic brain examination conducted by experts at Stanford University. — CBS News, "Vegas gunman’s brother: Seems there were “no physical excuses” for what he did," 10 Feb. 2018 Too Zoom in on a microscopic level and going too long without cleaning your bedroom can impact the quality of your ZZZ's as well. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "The Right Way to Clean Your Bedroom So You Can Sleep Better Than Ever," 14 Mar. 2019 Germany’s 10-year government bonds, known as bunds, yielded as little as 0.04% on Friday, a microscopic return for investors and the lowest level since October 2016 when the region was still emerging from a protracted sovereign-debt crisis. ... — Avantika Chilkoti, WSJ, "Europe’s Most Important Bond Edges Back Toward Negative Territory," 10 Mar. 2019 Cilia, microscopic hairlike protrusions lining your nose, can channel this dirty mucus to the front of the organ (or down your throat). — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Quick Question: Why Do We Sneeze?," 8 Mar. 2019 In some yellow and pink areas, microscopic examination revealed spores of fungi from the genus Cladosporium. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "What’s eating this 400-year-old painting? A whole ecosystem of microbes," 11 Dec. 2018

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

Statistics for microscopic

Last Updated

6 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for microscopic

The first known use of microscopic was circa 1672

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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