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

Explanation

Macroscopic things are large enough to be seen without using a microscope. Many creatures, from ants to elephants, are macroscopic. Macroscopic is the opposite of microscopic, which describes anything you need a microscope to see. A scientist might use macroscopic to talk about the regular view of an object, when you're looking at it unaided by any magnification device. The macroscopic view of a leaf is quite different from the microscopic, which reveals the molecules that comprise it. Macro- means "large," from the Greek root makros, "long or large."