microscopic
adjective
mi·cro·scop·ic
ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pik 
variants
or less commonly microscopical
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
But humans are generally unaware of the rich microscopic world beneath our feet, in part because until relatively recently, scientists had few tools to accurately catalog such tiny species.
—
Paulina Rowińska, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2025
Researchers have compared this survival strategy to that of tardigrades, microscopic creatures famous for enduring the vacuum of space.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Nematodes are thread-like microscopic organisms, some species of which create root galls that prevent water uptake and cause wilting of vegetable crops such as tomato, potato, cucumber, carrot, onion, and many others.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2025
Due to the violent transfer of heat as the steel is quenched, there are near microscopic features of the metal’s structure that appear visually distinct.
—Kevin Chroust, Outside Online, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for microscopic
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Paulina Rowińska, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2025
Researchers have compared this survival strategy to that of tardigrades, microscopic creatures famous for enduring the vacuum of space.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Nematodes are thread-like microscopic organisms, some species of which create root galls that prevent water uptake and cause wilting of vegetable crops such as tomato, potato, cucumber, carrot, onion, and many others.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2025
Due to the violent transfer of heat as the steel is quenched, there are near microscopic features of the metal’s structure that appear visually distinct.
—Kevin Chroust, Outside Online, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for microscopic
Cite this Entry
“Microscopic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microscopic. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
microscopic
adjective
mi·cro·scop·ic
ˌmī-krə-ˈskäp-ik
variants
also microscopical
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
mi·cro·scop·ic
ˌmī-krə-ˈskäp-ik
variants
or microscopical
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
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