macroscopic

American  

[mak-ruh-skop-ik] / ˌmæk rəˈskɒp ɪk /

Also macroscopical

adjective

1. visible to the naked eye.

2. pertaining to large units; comprehensive.

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macroscopic British  

/ ˌməkrəʊˈskɒpɪk /

adjective

1. large enough to be visible to the naked eye Compare microscopic

2. comprehensive; concerned with large units

3. physics capable of being described by the statistical properties of a large number of parts

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Other Word Forms

• macroscopically adverb

Etymology

Origin of macroscopic

First recorded in 1870–75; macro- + -scope + -ic

Example Sentences

In the words of the committee, "the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit".

From BBC • Oct. 7, 2025

According to the study, "fluctuations in density, energy and entropy in water are regulated by these quantum interactions, with effects ranging from the nanometre to the macroscopic scale," says researcher Luis E. Coronas.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2024

However, on a nanoscopic scale, materials are not homogeneous anymore and the macroscopic description of the material is insufficient.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2024

Entropy is essentially the number of such microstates consistent with the same macroscopic variables, he deduced.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 28, 2024

Mutations in genes that specified macroscopic structures, such as limbs and wings, were the easiest to spot and the first to be characterized.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee