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Words with the root micro

micro means “small”, from Greekmikros.

15 examples of the root “micro”

  1. microbebiossmall living thing
  2. microchipchipsmall electronic chip
  3. microwavewavevery short electromagnetic wave
  4. microscopeskopeininstrument for viewing small things
  5. microphonephonedevice amplifying small sounds
  6. microbiologybiologystudy of small living organisms
  7. microfilmfilmsmall-scale photographic film
  8. microcosmkosmossmall-scale version of world
  9. microorganismorganismvery small living organism
  10. microclimateclimatesmall local climate area
  11. microprocessorprocessorsmall central processing unit
  12. microbrewbrewbeer from small brewery
  13. microsurgerysurgerysurgery on very small structures
  14. microeconomicseconomicsstudy of small-scale economic behavior
  15. micrometeormeteorextremely small meteoritic particle

How micro works

The root 'micro-' functions as a prefix and does not change its spelling or form through assimilation the way prefixes like 'in-' do. It typically converts or intensifies nouns and adjectives to mean a miniature or small-scale version of the base concept.

Watch out: The word 'micron' (a unit of measurement) genuinely contains the root, but 'mica' (a mineral) does not — it comes from Latin 'mica' meaning crumb or grain, unrelated to Greek 'mikros.'

To see roots combine with other parts, try the word dissector and root builder, or test yourself in the vocabulary quiz.

Other Greek and Latin roots

Questions people ask

What does the root “micro” mean?

micro means “small”. It comes from Greek (mikros). The root 'micro-' functions as a prefix and does not change its spelling or form through assimilation the way prefixes like 'in-' do. It typically converts or intensifies nouns and adjectives to mean a miniature or small-scale version of the base concept.

What are some examples of words with the root “micro”?

microbe, microchip, microwave, microscope, microphone, microbiology, microfilm, microcosm. The full list of 15 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.

Which words look like they have the root “micro” but don’t?

The word 'micron' (a unit of measurement) genuinely contains the root, but 'mica' (a mineral) does not — it comes from Latin 'mica' meaning crumb or grain, unrelated to Greek 'mikros.'

What is a root word?

A root is the core of a word that carries its main meaning. Many English roots come from Latin or Greek and cannot stand alone, like port (“carry”) in transport and portable.