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
Without adequate recovery, your body cannot repair the microscopic damage from training or build new muscle tissue.
—
Dana Santas, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
The hepatitis B virus is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids, even in microscopic amounts, and the virus can survive on surfaces for a week.
—Jackie Fortiér, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
The riflebird’s plumage owes its deep, velvety black coloration not just to pigment, but also to its microscopic structure, which involves tightly packed barbules that deflect light inwards, absorbing nearly all of it.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
It has been proposed that tiny, internal magnetite crystals act as microscopic compass needles, aligning themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for microscopic
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Dana Santas, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
The hepatitis B virus is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids, even in microscopic amounts, and the virus can survive on surfaces for a week.
—Jackie Fortiér, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
The riflebird’s plumage owes its deep, velvety black coloration not just to pigment, but also to its microscopic structure, which involves tightly packed barbules that deflect light inwards, absorbing nearly all of it.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
It has been proposed that tiny, internal magnetite crystals act as microscopic compass needles, aligning themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for microscopic
Cite this Entry
“Microscopic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microscopic. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
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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