microscopic

adjective mi·cro·scop·ic \ ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pik \

variants: or less commonly microscopical play \-pi-kəl\

Updated on: 3 Dec 2017

Definition of microscopic

1 : resembling a microscope especially in perception

2 a : invisible or indistinguishable without the use of a microscope

b : very small or fine or precise

3 : of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope or microscopy

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microscopically

play \-pi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See microscopic defined for English-language learners

See microscopic defined for kids

Examples of microscopic in a Sentence

At this point, the embryo is a microscopic clump of only 100 cells.
There is a microscopic crack in the diamond.
He has a microscopic attention span.
He recorded every aspect of his trip in microscopic detail.
a microscopic study of plant tissues

Recent Examples of microscopic from the Web

One long-term effect of getting inked: microscopic ink particles can seep past your skin and get into other parts of your body.

— Health.com, "This Might Make You Rethink Getting a Tattoo," 13 Sep. 2017
The researchers hope to observe how the organisms in the lakes — from microscopic phytoplankton to fish — react to the change.

— kelsey lindsey, Alaska Dispatch News, "Arctic Alaska lakes get artificial warmth in effort to duplicate climate change," 11 Sep. 2017
These microscopic fragments enter the water system in multiple ways, reports Orb, from synthetic fiber clothing to tire dust and microbeads, as well as the fragmenting of larger pieces of plastic, which for the most part is non-biodegradable.

— kevin lui, Time, "Plastic Fibers Are Found in 83% of the World's Tap Water, a New Study Reveals," 6 Sep. 2017
By using two microscopic droplets, each far smaller than the smallest raindrop, a mushroom cannon can pack a mighty punch.

— helen czerski, WSJ, "Raindrops and Mushrooms: Physics on a Small Scale," 18 Aug. 2017
Piek is the marketing manager of Abagold, an abalone farm that at any one time has three million of the shellfish in various stages of growth, from microscopic plankton to pin-size spat to adults whose shells are bigger than a man’s hand.

— craig foster, National Geographic, "Poaching for Abalone, Africa’s ‘White Gold,' Reaches Fever Pitch," 14 Feb. 2017
These microscopic organisms were a telltale sign that ocean water had drowned the area at some point.

— nicholas st. fleur, New York Times, "Ancient Skull May Be History’s Earliest Known Tsunami Victim," 25 Oct. 2017
Typically ingestion of fecal matter, even in microscopic amounts, is the root cause for transmission.

— daniel wheaton, sandiegouniontribune.com, "By the numbers: San Diego's hepatitis A outbreak," 23 Sep. 2017
The pirate radio play Jack notes above is microscopic by Billboard standards (and possibly not even measured by Nielsen).

— jack hamilton, Slate Magazine, "Could Anti-Trump Americans Make “FDT (F--- Donald Trump)” the No. 1 Song in the Country?," 22 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'microscopic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of microscopic

circa 1672

microscopic Synonyms

Other Microbiology Terms

pathogen, salmonella, tetanus

MICROSCOPIC Defined for English Language Learners

microscopic

adjective

Definition of microscopic for English Language Learners

: able to be seen only through a microscope : extremely small
: much smaller than what is usual, normal, or expected
: done with a microscope

MICROSCOPIC Defined for Kids

microscopic

adjective mi·cro·scop·ic \ ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pik \

Definition of microscopic for Students

1 : of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope

a microscopic examination

2 : so small as to be visible only through a microscope : very tiny

a microscopic crack

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microscopically

\-pi-kə-lē\ adverb

Medical Dictionary

microscopic

adjective mi·cro·scop·ic \ ˌmī-krə-ˈskäp-ik \

variants: or microscopical play \-i-kəl\

medical Definition of microscopic

1 : of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope or microscopy

2 : so small or fine as to be invisible or indistinguishable without the use of a microscope — compare macroscopic, submicroscopic, ultramicroscopic 1

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