microorganism
1 synonym for microorganism, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A living thing too small to be seen without a microscope, especially a single-celled one such as a bacterium.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use microorganism
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
harmful microorganisms
kill microorganisms
microorganisms in the soil
growth of microorganisms
It is a fairly technical word, while microbe is the shorter everyday alternative.
Etymology
English formed the word by joining the prefix micro- to organism.
Full origin of microorganism →Frequently asked questions
What is a microorganism?
A microorganism is a living thing so small that you need a microscope to see it. Bacteria are a common example.
Is microorganism spelled with a hyphen?
Both microorganism and micro-organism exist, but microorganism is the more common spelling in print and in most dictionaries.
Is a virus a microorganism?
It depends on how strictly the word is used. Casually, viruses are often included, but in precise terms they are not always counted.
