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

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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Radiofrequency microneedling, another option Dr. Murphy-Rose recommends, uses tiny needles that penetrate the skin and cause microscopic wounds along the dermis. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 8 Feb. 2025 Those microscopic hairs are called setae, each of which splits off into hundreds of even smaller bristles called spatulae. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 4 Feb. 2025 The ocean is the birthplace of life on Earth, covering over 70% of our planet and sustaining an extraordinary range of biodiversity—from microscopic plankton to the largest whales. Photovogue, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2025 They're tagged with microscopic devices for identification, similar to a pet microchip. Alissa Widman Neese, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for microscopic 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of microscopic was circa 1672

Dictionary Entries Near microscopic

Cite this Entry

“Microscopic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microscopic. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

microscopic

adjective
1
: of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope or microscopy
a microscopic examination
2
: resembling a microscope : able to see very tiny objects
some insects have microscopic vision
3
: able to be seen only through a microscope : very small
a microscopic plant

Medical Definition

microscopic

adjective
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 sense 1

More from Merriam-Webster on microscopic

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