microscopic

adjective

mi·​cro·​scop·​ic ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pik How to pronounce microscopic (audio)
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
microscopically adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of microscopic was circa 1672

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Cite this Entry

“Microscopic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microscopic. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

microscopic

adjective
mi·​cro·​scop·​ic ˌmī-krə-ˈskäp-ik How to pronounce microscopic (audio)
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
microscopically adverb

Medical Definition

microscopic

adjective
mi·​cro·​scop·​ic ˌmī-krə-ˈskäp-ik How to pronounce microscopic (audio)
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
microscopically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on microscopic

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