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
Nanoplastics, the microscopic fragments shed from larger plastic waste, are emerging as a new frontier in environmental and health research.
—
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
Microplastics have become a hot topic in recent years, particularly with the proliferation of these microscopic pollutants in the earth’s water supplies.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
The sperm count and motility dropped, and microscopic analysis revealed damage to the seminiferous tubules, where sperm are formed.
—New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2025
From an experimental point of view, the tiny scale of microscopic particles poses outstanding challenges for studying the subtle laws of quantum mechanics in laboratory settings.
—Zhixin Wang, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for microscopic
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
Microplastics have become a hot topic in recent years, particularly with the proliferation of these microscopic pollutants in the earth’s water supplies.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
The sperm count and motility dropped, and microscopic analysis revealed damage to the seminiferous tubules, where sperm are formed.
—New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2025
From an experimental point of view, the tiny scale of microscopic particles poses outstanding challenges for studying the subtle laws of quantum mechanics in laboratory settings.
—Zhixin Wang, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 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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