adj · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
mī'krəskŏʹpĭk
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌmaɪ.kɹəˈskɒp.ɪk/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:M AY2 K R AH0 S K AA1 P IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of, or relating to microscopes or microscopy; microscopal
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
We supply all microscopic stains and other materials.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
So small that it can only be seen with the aid of a microscope.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The water was full of microscopic organisms.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Very small; minute
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Compared to the galaxy, we are microscopic in scale.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Carried out with great attention to detail.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
The police carried out a microscopic search of the crime scene.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Able to see extremely minute objects.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective
Meaning 6
of or relating to or used in microscopy
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
microscopic analysis
microscopical examination
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: microscopical
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective satellite
Meaning 7
so small as to be invisible without a microscope
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
differences were microscopic
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: microscopical
Antonyms: none provided
8
adjective satellite
Meaning 8
extremely precise with great attention to details
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
examined it with microscopic care
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
adjective satellite
Meaning 9
visible under a microscope; using a microscope
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: microscopical
Antonyms: none provided
History
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 *sképťomai Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι (sképtomai) 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 *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ium Latin mīcroscopiumlbor. Italian microscopiobor. English microscope Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English microscopic From microscope + -ic.
Across languages
Translations
79 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Asturian:
microscópicu
— relating to microscopes
Bulgarian:
микроскопски
(mikroskopski)
— relating to microscopes
Catalan:
microscòpic
— relating to microscopes
Danish:
mikroskopisk
— relating to microscopes
Esperanto:
mikroskopa
— relating to microscopes
Finnish:
mikroskooppi-
— relating to microscopes
French:
microscopique
— relating to microscopes
Greek:
μικροσκοπικός
(mikroskopikós)
— relating to microscopes
Interlingua:
microscopic
— relating to microscopes
Irish:
micreascópach
— relating to microscopes
Italian:
microscopico
— relating to microscopes
Norwegian Bokmål:
mikroskopisk
— relating to microscopes
Norwegian Nynorsk:
mikroskopisk
— relating to microscopes
Portuguese:
microscópico
— relating to microscopes
Romanian:
microscopic
— relating to microscopes
Spanish:
microscópico
— relating to microscopes
Tagalog:
miksipatin
— relating to microscopes
Ukrainian:
мікроскопі́чний
(mikroskopíčnyj)
— relating to microscopes
Volapük:
daluskopik
— relating to microscopes
Yiddish:
מיקראָסקאָפּיש
(mikroskopish)
— relating to microscopes
Asturian:
microscópicu
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Belarusian:
мікраскапі́чны
(mikraskapíčny)
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Bulgarian:
микроскопичен
(mikroskopičen)
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Bulgarian:
микроскопически
(mikroskopičeski)
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Catalan:
microscòpic
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Czech:
mikroskopický
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Danish:
mikroskopisk
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Dutch:
microscopisch
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Esperanto:
mikroskopa
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Finnish:
mikroskooppinen
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
French:
microscopique
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Galician:
microscópico
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
German:
mikroskopisch
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Greek:
μικροσκοπικός
(mikroskopikós)
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Hungarian:
mikroszkopikus
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Interlingua:
microscopic
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Irish:
micreascópach
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Italian:
microscopico
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Kazakh:
микроскопиялық
(mikroskopiälyq)
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Latvian:
mikroskopisks
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Māori:
merowhetau
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Norwegian Bokmål:
mikroskopisk
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Norwegian Nynorsk:
mikroskopisk
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Polish:
mikroskopijny
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Portuguese:
microscópico
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Romanian:
microscopic
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Russian:
микроскопи́ческий
(mikroskopíčeskij)
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Spanish:
microscópico
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Swedish:
mikroskopisk
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Turkish:
mikroskobik
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Ukrainian:
мікроскопі́чний
(mikroskopíčnyj)
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Volapük:
daluskopik
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Yiddish:
מיקראָסקאָפּיש
(mikroskopish)
— so small that it can only be seen using a microscope
Asturian:
microscópicu
— very small
Bulgarian:
микроскопичен
(mikroskopičen)
— very small
Bulgarian:
микроскопически
(mikroskopičeski)
— very small
Catalan:
microscòpic
— very small
Danish:
mikroskopisk
— very small
Esperanto:
malgrandega
— very small
Finnish:
mikroskooppinen
— very small
French:
microscopique
— very small
Galician:
microscópico
— very small
German:
mikroskopisch
— very small
Greek:
μικροσκοπικός
(mikroskopikós)
— very small
Irish:
micreascópach
— very small
Italian:
microscopico
— very small
Kazakh:
микроскопиялық
(mikroskopiälyq)
— very small
Māori:
merowhetau
— very small
Portuguese:
microscópico
— very small
Romanian:
microscopic
— very small
Spanish:
microscópico
— very small
Ukrainian:
мікроскопі́чний
(mikroskopíčnyj)
— very small
Volapük:
daluskopik
— very small
Yiddish:
מיקראָסקאָפּיש
(mikroskopish)
— very small
Bulgarian:
щателен
(štatelen)
— carried out with great attention to detail
Bulgarian:
обстоен
(obstoen)
— carried out with great attention to detail
Bulgarian:
изчерпателен
(izčerpatelen)
— carried out with great attention to detail
Finnish:
pikkutarkka
— carried out with great attention to detail
Finnish:
yksityiskohtainen
— carried out with great attention to detail