microscopic

[ mahy-kruh-skop-ik ]

/ ˌmaɪ krəˈskɒp ɪk /

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See synonyms for microscopic on Thesaurus.com

adjective

so small as to be invisible or indistinct without the use of the microscope: microscopic organisms.Compare macroscopic.

very small; tiny.

of, relating to, or involving a microscope: microscopic investigation.

very detailed; meticulous: a microscopic view of society.

suggestive of the precise use of the microscope; minute: microscopic exactness.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also mi·cro·scop·i·cal .

Origin of microscopic

First recorded in 1670–80; microscope + -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM microscopic

mi·cro·scop·i·cal·ly, adverbnon·mi·cro·scop·ic, adjectivenon·mi·cro·scop·i·cal, adjectivenon·mi·cro·scop·i·cal·ly, adverb

un·mi·cro·scop·ic, adjectiveun·mi·cro·scop·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby microscopic

microreproduction, micros., microsatellite, micro-scooter, microscope, microscopic, Microscopium, microscopy, microsecond, microsegment, microseism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use microscopic in a sentence

According to Candela and his colleagues, their results suggest that the microscopic population of our guts may have been with us since at least 500,000 years ago, in the era of our species’ last common ancestor with Neanderthals.
Oldest DNA from poop contains a Neanderthal’s microbiome|Kiona N. Smith|February 8, 2021|Ars Technica
The team compared microscopic damage on the Tabun stone to that produced in experiments with nine similar stones collected near the cave site.
The oldest known abrading tool was used around 350,000 years ago|Bruce Bower|January 21, 2021|Science News
A push to moving from a scale of 14-nanometers to 10-nanometers, microscopic spacing that would allow for billions more transistors per chip, was already several years late when Swan took over.
Intel gets the leader it needs|Aaron Pressman|January 13, 2021|Fortune
Before uploading new code to your site, run it through a tool to minify it and remove all of that excess cruft that has a microscopic-yet-tangible effect on page loading.
Core Web Vitals report: 28 Ways to supercharge your site|James Parsons|January 13, 2021|Search Engine Watch

The ingredients in the two vaccines differ slightly, as well as the microscopic packaging in which the mRNA sequences come.
Does it matter which COVID-19 vaccine you get?|Maddie Bender|January 7, 2021|Popular-Science
Other methane is exhaled by microscopic organisms directly, as in the human gut.
Methane on Mars: Life or Just Gas?|Matthew R. Francis|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After all, not every county medical examiner can spot CTE on microscopic slides.
Will the NCAA Let Ohio State’s Kosta Karageorge Die in Vain?|Robert Silverman|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unlike influenza, it is incapable of traveling through tiny microscopic particles.
The Sham, Scaremongering Guide to Ebola|Abby Haglage|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The occupied land is small, virtually microscopic in comparison to the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Michael Brown's Hometown Is Under Occupation|Justin Glawe|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But there is another curiosity about the microscopic attention that is paid to civilian casualties.
U.S. Drone Program Needs to Be Accompanied by Hard Facts on Civilian Deaths|Daniel Klaidman|November 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They are easily seen with the one-sixth objective in the routine microscopic examination.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
This effectually closes any microscopic blow-hole that may exist in the metal.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Even slight familiarity with the microscopic structure of vegetable tissue will prevent the chagrin of such errors.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The clinical picture is hence more significant than the microscopic findings.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Microscopic examination reveals that there is a faint keel on the dorsal surface of the tip.
Genera and Subgenera of Chipmunks|John A. White

British Dictionary definitions for microscopic

microscopic

less commonly microscopical

/ (ˌmaɪkrəˈskɒpɪk) /

adjective

not large enough to be seen with the naked eye but visible under a microscopeCompare macroscopic

very small; minute

of, concerned with, or using a microscope

characterized by or done with great attention to detail

Derived forms of microscopic

microscopically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

microscopic

Origin of microscopic

OTHER WORDS FROM microscopic

Words nearby microscopic

Words related to microscopic

How to use microscopic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for microscopic

less commonly microscopical

Derived forms of microscopic