microcosm

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈmaɪkrəʊkɒzəm/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈmaɪkrəˌkɑzəm/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(mī′krə koz′əm)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mi•cro•cosm /ˈmaɪkrəˌkɑzəm/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. a world in miniature that has all the features of a larger world:The problems in our community are a microcosm of what is happening around the country.
See -cosm-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
mi•cro•cosm  (mī′krə koz′əm),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a little world; a world in miniature (opposed to macrocosm).
  2. anything that is regarded as a world in miniature.
human beings, humanity, society, or the like, viewed as an epitome or miniature of the world or universe. Also called mi•cro•cos•mos  (mī′krə koz′məs, -mōs).USA pronunciation 
  • Greek mīkròs kósmos small world. See micro-, cosmos
  • Medieval Latin mīcrocosmus
  • Middle English microcosme 1150–1200
mi′cro•cos′mic, mi′cro•cos′mi•cal, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
microcosm /ˈmaɪkrəʊˌkɒzəm/, microcosmos /ˌmaɪkrəʊˈkɒzmɒs/ n
  1. a miniature representation of something, esp a unit, group, or place regarded as a copy of a larger one
  2. humankind regarded as epitomizing the universe

Compare macrocosmEtymology: 15th Century: via Medieval Latin from Greek mikros kosmos little worldˌmicroˈcosmic, ˌmicroˈcosmical adj
'microcosm' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
macrocosm - cosm- - micro - monad - world

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