microplastic
Americannoun
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a tiny particle of plastic, especially one five millimeters or smaller, formed from the breakdown of plastic waste, shed from synthetic textiles, or intentionally added to various products.
Microplastics are a problem because marine life mistakes the floating particles for food.
-
these tiny particles of plastic taken collectively.
Microplastic is still used in some cosmetics and personal care products.
Etymology
Origin of microplastic
First recorded in 1955–60; micro- ( def. ) + plastic ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Namely, how much microplastic is absorbed by the body and how much accumulates over time given that researchers think some level of the plastics exit the body.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
A few weeks later, the results showed 17 microplastic particles detected.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The study will also examine how storm activity and changing environmental conditions may influence microplastic levels across the river system.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
Compared with water use, microplastic emissions contributed a much smaller share of overall ecosystem damage.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026
The model consistently predicted far more microplastic particles in the air and deposited on the Earth's surface than were actually observed, sometimes by several orders of magnitude.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
