microscopic
Americanadjective
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so small as to be invisible or indistinct without the use of the microscope.
microscopic organisms.
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very small; tiny.
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of, relating to, or involving a microscope.
microscopic investigation.
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very detailed; meticulous.
a microscopic view of society.
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suggestive of the precise use of the microscope; minute.
microscopic exactness.
adjective
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not large enough to be seen with the naked eye but visible under a microscope Compare macroscopic
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very small; minute
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of, concerned with, or using a microscope
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characterized by or done with great attention to detail
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of microscopic
First recorded in 1670–80; microscope + -ic
Explanation
Skin cells, bacteria, and some kinds of algae are all microscopic, or too small to see without a microscope. Use the adjective microscopic to describe things that are so tiny you can't see them. The word is a scientific term if you literally mean "can be seen with a microscope," although people use it sometimes to mean "really small," as in the phrase "Wow, your feet are microscopic." Mikros means "small" in Greek, and the scope part of the word comes from the Greek word skopein, "to examine."
Vocabulary lists containing microscopic
Cell Biology - Middle School
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Cell Biology - High School
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It's the Little Things: Synonyms for "Small"
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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.
Lowri made the decision to avoid meat for the trip, hoping it would help her to avoid food poisoning, but Dr Healy believes she inadvertently ate pork that contained microscopic tapeworm eggs.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
The technology’s hoses and nozzles can pump out ozone in microscopic nanobubbles that don’t float and can spread more widely through water than the gas’s traditional form.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026
It was designed to stop electricity from leaking as transistors shrink to microscopic levels, ultimately allowing chips to become smaller, faster, and more efficient.
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
When inhaled, these microscopic particles can enter the lungs and bloodstream, potentially causing swelling and inflammation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026
Most of it is underground, consisting of a network of microscopic cells called mycelium.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
