In order to use thses terms there must be a possible comparison of the particular interaction as it applies to both, or a comparison of the effects of this interaction in both worlds. One cannot be presupposed without the other being implied according to the interaction that is discussed in the first. It is generally the case that when in a discussion one has recourse to a term such as 'microcosm' or 'macrocosm' this is done subject to an explicit or implicit definition of the particular 'cosmsos' or 'world' that thoses words represent in the discussion. In each of these examples, 'macrocosm' and 'microcosm' seem to convey the sense of 'a place, locality, situation, or event that encapsulates certain qualities/features of the person/thing it represents' The audience was selected to create a microcosm of American society. The dynamic acts as a microcosm for Edinburgh's own theological development 'He sees the auto industry as a microcosm of the U.S. We regarded the struggle in prison as a microcosm of the struggle as a whole.įarmville, the town that Dorothy left behind in the 1940s, had become in the 1950s a microcosm of America's struggle over integration in its public school In other words, the macrocosm of the cosmos is reflected in the microcosm of individual experience You can see its effects in the macrocosm of HIV infections.īut the flower choker holds a unique place in the macrocosm of the early aughts revival The physics that works for falling bodies and pirouetting ice skaters down here in the microcosm of the Earth makes galaxies up there in the macrocosm of the universe. (Unfortunately I wasn't able to find any example sentences for this definition of microcosm)ġ)In other words, the macrocosm of the cosmos is reflected in the microcosm of individual experience

Human beings, humanity, society, or the like, viewed as an epitome or miniature of the world or universe. (expanded version: A small, representative system having analogies to a larger system in constitution, configuration, or development)Īnything that is regarded as a world in miniature. a little world a world in miniature (opposed to macrocosm).(Unfortunately I wasn't able to find any sample sentences for this definition of macrocosm) The total or entire complex structure of something A system reflecting on a large scale one of its component systems or parts.Ī representation of a smaller unit or entity by a larger one, presumably of a similar structure. (Expanded version: the whole of a complex structure, especially the world or the universe, contrasted with a small or representative part of it. the great world or universe the universe considered as a whole (opposed to microcosm). Though our town is small and provincial, it is a true microcosm to the country as a whole.I've done some sleuthing on some online dictionaries to make sense of these words, but I can't see the difference. Definition of microcosm in English English dictionary a smaller system which is representative of or analogous to a larger one

Define microcosm