micro
MEYE-kroh
Micro (adjective) means Very small in size, scale, or scope. Example: “He runs a micro brewery in his garage that makes only a few bottles a week.”
adjective
1
Very small in size, scale, or scope.
"Financial independence and micro retirement have come to represent the autonomy I've created for myself, which is a powerful feeling."
— Joshua Nelken-Zitser (2025)
"He runs a micro brewery in his garage that makes only a few bottles a week."
"At the micro level, he was a good manager. At the macro level, he failed."
"The company started with a micro budget and grew from there."
"She invests in micro businesses that need only a few thousand pounds to launch."
How to use micro
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA word for anything tiny or on a very small scale — used both on its own and as a prefix in words like microwave and microscope.
Common pairings
micro level
micro budget
go micro
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more micro
- Superlative
- most micro
Fill the gap
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He runs a _____ brewery in his garage that makes only a few bottles a week.
Etymology
From the Greek prefix "micro-," meaning "small," which was later clipped off to stand as its own adjective in casual English.
Synonyms
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Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “micro” mean?
The word “micro” means very small in size, scale, or scope. In plain terms, a word for anything tiny or on a very small scale — used both on its own and as a prefix in words like microwave and microscope.
How do you pronounce “micro”?
“Micro” is pronounced MEYE-kroh (/ˈmaɪ.kɹoʊ/ in IPA).
How do you use “micro” in a sentence?
Here is “micro” used in a sentence: “The company started with a micro budget and grew from there.”
What part of speech is “micro”?
“Micro” is an adjective.
Where does the word “micro” come from?
The word “micro” comes from Greek. From the Greek prefix "micro-," meaning "small," which was later clipped off to stand as its own adjective in casual English.
Is “micro” a common word?
“Micro” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
What is the difference between micro and macro?
They are opposites: micro means very small in size, scale, or scope, while macro means large-scale or overall. The contrast is common in fields like economics, where microeconomics studies individual households and firms and macroeconomics studies whole economies.
Is micro a standalone word or just a prefix?
Both. As a prefix it forms words like microscope and microchip, but micro also works as an adjective in its own right meaning very small in size, scale, or scope: "a micro apartment", "at a micro level". Dictionaries list this standalone adjective use as standard.
Should words with micro be hyphenated?
Most established micro- compounds are written as one word: microwave, microscope, microclimate, microeconomics. A hyphen appears mainly where the next element begins with a vowel that could cause misreading, as in "micro-organism", which is common in British English, or in new one-off coinages. When micro stands alone as an adjective, no hyphen is used: "a micro flat".
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