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
Standard lasers create powerful beams by bouncing light between microscopic mirrors to stimulate more light production; this new tool uses the same principle to amplify vibrations.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Jan. 2026
Unlike the Pap test, which requires microscopic interpretation of cervical cells, HPV testing detects the presence of high-risk viral strains and includes internal controls that reduce the risk of false negatives.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 13 Jan. 2026
It's detected only on a urine dipstick, often a routine one performed during a check-up, and confirmed by microscopic examination of the urine sample.
—Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 12 Jan. 2026
Fentanyl is cheap, compact, and lethal at microscopic doses, produced through decentralized networks designed to survive disruption.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for microscopic
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Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Jan. 2026
Unlike the Pap test, which requires microscopic interpretation of cervical cells, HPV testing detects the presence of high-risk viral strains and includes internal controls that reduce the risk of false negatives.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 13 Jan. 2026
It's detected only on a urine dipstick, often a routine one performed during a check-up, and confirmed by microscopic examination of the urine sample.
—Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 12 Jan. 2026
Fentanyl is cheap, compact, and lethal at microscopic doses, produced through decentralized networks designed to survive disruption.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for microscopic
Cite this Entry
“Microscopic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microscopic. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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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