microcosm
[ mahy-kruh-koz-uh m ]
/ ˈmaɪ krəˌkɒz əm /
noun
a little world; a world in miniature (opposed to macrocosm).
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
[mahy-kruh-koz-muh s, -mohs] /ˌmaɪ krəˈkɒz məs, -moʊs/.
Origin of microcosm
OTHER WORDS FROM microcosm
mi·cro·cos·mic, mi·cro·cos·mi·cal, adjectiveWords nearby microcosm
Example sentences from the Web for microcosm
British Dictionary definitions for microcosm
microcosm
microcosmos (ˌmaɪkrəʊˈkɒzmɒs)
/ (ˈmaɪkrəʊˌkɒzəm) /
noun
a miniature representation of something, esp a unit, group, or place regarded as a copy of a larger one
man regarded as epitomizing the universe
Compare
macrocosm
Derived forms of microcosm
microcosmic or microcosmical, adjectiveWord Origin for microcosm
C15: via Medieval Latin from Greek
mikros kosmos little world
Cultural definitions for microcosm
microcosm
A representation of something on a much smaller scale. Microcosm means “small world,” and in the thought of the Renaissance, it was applied specifically to human beings, who were considered to be small-scale models of the universe, with all its variety and contradiction. (Compare macrocosm.)