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
- microscopically adverb
- nonmicroscopic adjective
- nonmicroscopical adjective
- nonmicroscopically adverb
- unmicroscopic adjective
- unmicroscopically adverb
Etymology
Origin of microscopic
First recorded in 1670–80; microscope + -ic
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.
And as corny as that may seem, I implore you: If you have even one microscopic iota of curiosity, see this film.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
Roberto Rosetti - the head of Uefa's referees - called the meeting after saying last month the game must not "go in this direction of microscopic VAR interventions".
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
They discovered that when microscopic organisms such as yeast and mold fed on the kelp, the byproduct more closely resembled what they were seeking.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Since terahertz wavelengths are much larger than atoms and molecules, they cannot normally resolve microscopic features.
From Science Daily • Mar. 17, 2026
Betsie had never been able to lift much; today her shovelfuls were microscopic and she stumbled frequently as she walked to the low ground where we dumped the loads.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
