microcosm

[mahy-kruh-koz-uhm]

noun

1. a little world; a world in miniature (macrocosm ).

   The human body is a microcosm.

2. anything regarded as a representative, miniature version of a larger complex reality.

   The fictional small town of Black Rock, California, serves as a microcosm of America in the postwar era.

3. Environmental Science.,  a controlled experimental environment or ecosystem small enough to be housed in a laboratory and reproducing conditions that occur on a larger scale in the outdoors.

   Researchers have investigated the survival of this bacteria in saline solutions and seawater in laboratory microcosms.

4. human beings, humanity, society, or the like, viewed as an epitome or miniature of the world or universe.

   In the human microcosm, intellect is the deep spiritual center of being.

microcosm

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊˌkɒzəm, ˌmaɪkrəʊˈkɒzmɒs /

noun

1. a miniature representation of something, esp a unit, group, or place regarded as a copy of a larger one

2. man regarded as epitomizing the universe

microcosm

1. A representation of something on a much smaller scale. Microcosm means “small world,” and in the thought of the Renaissance, it was applied specifically to human beings, who were considered to be small-scale models of the universe, with all its variety and contradiction. (Compare macrocosm.)

Other Word Forms

• microcosmic adjective
• microcosmical adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of microcosm¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; micro- ( def. ) + -cosm ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of microcosm¹

C15: via Medieval Latin from Greek mikros kosmos little world

Example Sentences

The Jones mess is a microcosm of larger Democratic fissures.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"It absolutely fascinates us... you've got that microcosm, you can see all of that being played out in a rather fun way."

Read more on BBC

Her approach consists of combining aerosol and seawater samples with sediment records, satellite data and lab microcosms to pin down cause and effect.

Read more on Science Daily

The microcosm of the island settings positions Mr. Johnson to vividly explore the consequences of environmental scarcity on both imperial and familial levels.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This has been a roller coaster season for the Chargers, a microcosm of which happened at the end of the first half.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• earth 
• nature