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
The sharp microscopic pieces in DE cause abrasions in the soft bodies of chiggers and break down their protective exoskeleton.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 13 July 2025
Hidden text in white font on white backgrounds, microscopic instructions that human reviewers would never see but AI systems would dutifully follow.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Swimmer's itch is a skin rash caused by an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites that infect some birds and mammals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 11 July 2025
The study of microplastics is relatively new, as Science reports that the term was only first used to describe microscopic fragments of plastic debris in a publication in 2004.
—Catherine Salfino, Sourcing Journal, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for microscopic
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Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 13 July 2025
Hidden text in white font on white backgrounds, microscopic instructions that human reviewers would never see but AI systems would dutifully follow.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Swimmer's itch is a skin rash caused by an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites that infect some birds and mammals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 11 July 2025
The study of microplastics is relatively new, as Science reports that the term was only first used to describe microscopic fragments of plastic debris in a publication in 2004.
—Catherine Salfino, Sourcing Journal, 10 July 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 19 Jul. 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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