microscopic

See also: microscòpic

English

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *mey-der.?
Ancient Greek μῑκρός (mīkrós)
Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti
Proto-Hellenic *sképt͏̌omai
Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι (sképtomai)
Proto-Indo-European *-os
Proto-Indo-European *-ós
Proto-Indo-European *-ós
Proto-Hellenic *-ós
▲
Ancient Greek -ος (-os)influ.
Ancient Greek -ός (-ós)
Ancient Greek σκοπός (skopós)
Proto-Indo-European *-eti
Proto-Indo-European *-eyéti
Proto-Indo-European *-esyéti
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
Ancient Greek -έω (-éō)
Ancient Greek σκοπέω (skopéō)
Proto-Indo-European *-is
Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós
Proto-Italic *-ijos
Proto-Italic *-ios
Old Latin -ios
Latin -iusnom.
Latin -ium
Latin mīcroscopiumlbor.
Italian microscopiobor.
English microscope
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Indo-European *-ikos
Proto-Italic *-ikos
Latin -icuslbor.
Old French -iquebor.
▲
Latin -icusbor.
Middle English -ik
English -ic
English microscopic

    From microscope + -ic.

    Pronunciation

    • enPR: mī'krəskŏʹpĭk
      • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌmaɪ.kɹəˈskɒp.ɪk/
        • Audio (Southern England):(file)
      • (General American, Atlantic Canada) IPA(key): /ˌmaɪ.kɹəˈskɑ.pɪk/
      • (Canada, dialects of the US) IPA(key): /ˌmaɪ.kɹəˈskɒp.ɪk/
      • (Australia) IPA(key): /ˌmɑe.kɹəˈskɔp.ɪk/
      • (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˌmaɪ.kɹəˈskɒp.ək/, [ˌmɑe̯.kɹəˈskɔ̟p.ək]
    • Rhymes: -ɒpɪk

    Adjective

    microscopic (comparative more microscopic, superlative most microscopic)

    1. Of, or relating to microscopes or microscopy; microscopal
      We supply all microscopic stains and other materials.
    2. So small that it can only be seen with the aid of a microscope.
      The water was full of microscopic organisms.
      • 2026 July 25, Oliver Milman, “Former FDA official says US handling of cyclospora near ‘catastrophic level’”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 July 2026:
        Yiannas said there has been widespread public confusion about cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, also known as cyclospora, that can cause explosive diarrhea.
    3. Very small; minute
      Compared to the galaxy, we are microscopic in scale.
      • 1961 October, “The winter timetables of British Railways: London Midland Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 593:
        By wholesale omission of connections and by the use of a microscopic scale of photographic reproduction which makes some of the most important tables difficult to read, the size has been cut down from last winter's 580 to 520 pages only.
      • 2014 September, Gregg Jaeger, “What in the (quantum) world is macroscopic?”, in American Journal of Physics, volume 82, number 9, pages 896–905:
        ... the notion of the microscopic was often used in the foundations of quantum theory right from the start, to indicate the realm in which quantum theory is required in order to explain phenomena when classical theory cannot do so; quantum theory was generally considered in those years to apply only to situations involving atoms and smaller “microscopic” entities...
    4. (figurative) Carried out with great attention to detail.
      The police carried out a microscopic search of the crime scene.
    5. Able to see extremely minute objects.

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

    Translations

    See also

    Interlingua

    Adjective

    microscopic (not comparable)

    1. microscopic

    Romanian

    Etymology

      Borrowed from French microscopique. By surface analysis, microscop + -ic.

      Adjective

      microscopic m or n (feminine singular microscopică, masculine plural microscopici, feminine/neuter plural microscopice)

      1. microscopic

      Declension

      Declension of microscopic
      singular plural
      masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
      nominative-
      accusative       		indefinite microscopic microscopică microscopici microscopice
      definite microscopicul microscopica microscopicii microscopicele
      genitive-
      dative       		indefinite microscopic microscopice microscopici microscopice
      definite microscopicului microscopicei microscopicilor microscopicelor
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