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Definition of microcosm noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

microcosm

noun
 
/ˈmaɪkrəʊkɒzəm/
 
/ˈmaɪkrəʊkɑːzəm/
Idioms
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  1. a thing, a place or a group that has all the features and qualities of something much larger
    • The family is a microcosm of society.
    compare macrocosm
    Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French microcosme or medieval Latin microcosmus, from Greek mikros kosmos ‘little world’.
Idioms
in microcosm
  1. on a small scale
    • The developments in this town represent in microcosm what is happening in the country as a whole.
See microcosm in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: microcosm

Nearby words

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noun
 
 
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