- a little world; a world in miniature (opposed to macrocosm): The human body is a microcosm.
- anything regarded as a representative, miniature version of a larger complex reality: The fictional small town of Black Rock, California, serves as a microcosm of America in the postwar era.
- a controlled experimental environment or ecosystem small enough to be housed in a laboratory and reproducing conditions that occur on a larger scale in the outdoors: Researchers have investigated the survival of this bacteria in saline solutions and seawater in laboratory microcosms.
- human beings, humanity, society, or the like, viewed as an epitome or miniature of the world or universe: In the human microcosm, intellect is the deep spiritual center of being.
- 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
