macrocosm

American  

[mak-ruh-koz-uhm] / ˈmæk rəˌkɒz əm /

noun

1. the great world or universe; the universe considered as a whole (microcosm ).

2. the total or entire complex structure of something.

   the macrocosm of war.

3. a representation of a smaller unit or entity by a larger one, presumably of a similar structure.

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macrocosm British  

/ ˈmækrəˌkɒzəm /

noun

1. a complex structure, such as the universe or society, regarded as an entirety, as opposed to microcosms, which have a similar structure and are contained within it

2. any complex entity regarded as a complete system in itself

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macrocosm Cultural  

1. A representation of something on a much larger scale. (Compare microcosm.)

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Other Word Forms

• macrocosmic adjective
• macrocosmically adverb

Etymology

Origin of macrocosm

1590–1600; < French macrocosme < Medieval Latin macrocosmus. See macro-, cosmos

Explanation

The macrocosm is everything that exists: it's another word for the universe or cosmos. If you know that micro means "small" and macro means "large," that can help you remember the meaning of this word: the macrocosm is the largest thing there is, since it's a word for everything in existence. Macrocosm is also used to talk about the big picture versus the little picture (the microcosm).

Example Sentences

The structure alone provides a glimpse into an ancient worldview in which the macrocosm reflects the microcosm, and everything that is or that happens inextricably connects to everything else.

From Scientific American • Jun. 14, 2023

All events in the skies were thought to affect those on Earth; the microcosm mirrors the macrocosm, it was believed.

From Nature • Dec. 12, 2019

“She is trying to hang onto who she is inside of what’s happening in the macrocosm in the world she’s policing,” she adds.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 14, 2017

The way a poker game is “a macrocosm of life – every new hand is your fate and you can play with your fate”.

From The Guardian • Sep. 22, 2016

It might be thought that Copernicus was responsible for the destruction of the correspondence between microcosm and macrocosm.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton