macro

¹ American  

[mak-roh] / ˈmæk roʊ /

adjective

1. very large in scale, scope, or capability.

2. of or relating to macroeconomics.

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noun

plural

macros

1. anything very large in scale, scope, or capability.

2. Photography. a macro lens.

3. Also called macroinstruction.  Computers. an instruction that represents a sequence of instructions in abbreviated form.

4. macroeconomics.

macro- ² American  

especially before a vowel, macr-.

1. a combining form meaning “large,” “long,” “great,” “excessive,” used in the formation of compound words, contrasting with micro-: macrocosm; macrofossil; macrograph; macroscopic.

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macro- ¹ British  

combining form

1. large, long, or great in size or duration

   macroscopic

2. (in pathology) indicating abnormal enlargement or overdevelopment Compare micro-

   macrocyte

3. producing larger than life images

   macrophotography

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macro ² British  

/ ˈmækrəʊ /

noun

1. a macro lens

2. Also: macro instruction.  a single computer instruction that initiates a set of instructions to perform a specific task

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macro– Scientific  

1. A prefix meaning “large,” as in macromolecule, a large molecule.

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Usage

What does macro- mean? Macro- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “large; long; great; excessive.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology.Macro- comes from Greek makrós, meaning “long.” The Latin translation of makrós is longus, also meaning “long,” which is the source of terms such as longanimity and longitude. To learn more, check out our entries for both words.What are variants of macro-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, macro- becomes macr-, as in macrencephaly. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about macr-.

Etymology

Origin of macro¹

Independent use of macro-, taken as an adjective, or by shortening of words with macro- as initial element

Origin of macro-²

< Greek makro-, combining form of makrós long; cognate with Latin macer lean; meager

Example Sentences

On a macro level, the Penn Wharton Budget Model estimated External link that if consumers end up bearing all of the burden, consumption would fall by 3.5% in 2030.

From Barron's

“Whenever the macro forecast changes, that feeds straight away into policy changes,” said Ben Zaranko, associate director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Outside of earnings, one thing that would deflate the equal-weight from outperforming, would be the overall macro liquidity landscape,” he said.

From MarketWatch

Their global macro fund returned 9.6% last year, and is off to a hot start in January with a 4.6% gain.

From MarketWatch

“Despite the rhetoric overtaking the narrative, when direct competitors see directly opposing results, we believe it is hard to blame the typically-easy-to-blame top-down macro pressures.”

From Barron's

Related Words

• broad
• extensive
• large
• large-scale