microscopic
Americanadjective
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so small as to be invisible or indistinct without the use of the microscope.
microscopic organisms.
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very small; tiny.
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of, relating to, or involving a microscope.
microscopic investigation.
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very detailed; meticulous.
a microscopic view of society.
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suggestive of the precise use of the microscope; minute.
microscopic exactness.
adjective
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not large enough to be seen with the naked eye but visible under a microscope Compare macroscopic
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very small; minute
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of, concerned with, or using a microscope
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characterized by or done with great attention to detail
Other Word Forms
- microscopically adverb
- nonmicroscopic adjective
- nonmicroscopical adjective
- nonmicroscopically adverb
- unmicroscopic adjective
- unmicroscopically adverb
Etymology
Origin of microscopic
First recorded in 1670–80; microscope + -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To visualize microscopic asbestos fibers in talcum powder, he brought a bale of hay into a courtroom and dropped a needle into the blades.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026
And as corny as that may seem, I implore you: If you have even one microscopic iota of curiosity, see this film.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
Every cell of the deadly malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum contains a tiny compartment packed with microscopic iron crystals.
From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026
Instead of revealing fine details, they tend to wash over microscopic samples.
From Science Daily • Mar. 17, 2026
The book was about, among other things, a massive religious movement—a reawakening of sorts—that occurred simultaneously with the opening of all these microscopic doors that allowed visitors from space to overrun the earth.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
