microcosm
English
Etymology
From French microcosme, from Latin microcosmus, from Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “small”) + κόσμος (kosmos, “world”).
Pronunciation
Noun
microcosm (plural microcosms)
- Human nature or the human body as representative of the wider universe; man considered as a miniature counterpart of divine or universal nature. [from 15th c.]
- 1972, Rolf Soellner, Shakespeare's Patterns of Self-Knowledge, Chapter 3: Microcosm and Macrocosm: Framing The Picture of Man, page 43:
- The Christian humanists were emphatic in their demand that a man who wishes to understand himself must realize that he is a little world that reflects on a smaller scale the larger world of the universe. […] On the other hand, the whole idea of man as a microcosm was questioned by those who were not in sympathy with the Christian humanists.
- 1972, Rolf Soellner, Shakespeare's Patterns of Self-Knowledge, Chapter 3: Microcosm and Macrocosm: Framing The Picture of Man, page 43:
- (obsolete) The human body; a person. [17th-19th c.]
- circa 1605-08, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus, First Folio 1623, Act 2, Scene 1:
- If you see this in the Map of my Microcosme, followes it that I am knowne well enough too?
- circa 1605-08, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus, First Folio 1623, Act 2, Scene 1:
- A smaller system which is seen as representative of a larger one. [from 17th c.]
- 1999, Barry McIntyre, The Guardian, 16 Dec 1999:
- ‘In a sense, the problems experienced at Bristol are like a microcosm of what is happening in the NHS - experienced surgeons battling against difficult circumstances, with inadequate resources and in a culture where the finding of scapegoats appears to be put before the finding of solutions.’
- 2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom”, BBC Sport:
- Steve Bruce's side have swung from highs to lows in what has been at best a wildly inconsistent start to the season. They experienced a microcosm of this within the opening 45 minutes at the Stadium of Light.
- 1999, Barry McIntyre, The Guardian, 16 Dec 1999:
- (ecology) A small natural ecosystem; an artificial ecosystem set up as an experimental model. [from 19th c.]
- 2009, Jerry C. Smrchek, Maurice G. Zeeman, Chapter 3: Assessing Risks to Ecological Systems from Chemicals, Peter P. Calow (editor), Handbook of Environmental Risk Assessment and Management, page 53:
- The method is relatively labour intensive (24-30 microcosms are run) and more difficult to interpret when compared with other microcosm methods (Shannon et al. 1986; Cairns & Cherry 1993).
- 2009, Jerry C. Smrchek, Maurice G. Zeeman, Chapter 3: Assessing Risks to Ecological Systems from Chemicals, Peter P. Calow (editor), Handbook of Environmental Risk Assessment and Management, page 53:
Synonyms
- (smaller system representative of a larger one): worldkin
Translations
human nature or body as representative of the wider universe
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obsolete: the human body, a person
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smaller system as representative of a larger one
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a small natural ecosystem; an artificial ecosystem set up as an experimental model
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Antonyms
Romanian
Etymology
French microcosme
Noun
microcosm n (plural microcosmuri)
Declension
The plural of this word is rarely used.
declension of microcosm
| gender n | uncountable |
|---|---|
| Nominative/Accusative (Unarticulated) |
microcosm |
| Nominative/Accusative (Definite articulation) |
microcosmul |
| Genitive/Dative (Definite articulation) |
microcosmului |
Synonyms
Antonyms
- macrocosm
- macrocosmos