microcosm
UK[ˈmaɪkrəʊkɒzəm]US[ˈmaɪkroʊkɑːzəm]
n
a small place, society, or situation that has the same characteristics as something much larger
n
(in philosophy) humankind viewed as a miniature representation of the universe
Morpheme Breakdown
micro
cosm
micro
small
cosm
world, universe
Etymology
the word 'microcosm' is a direct borrowing from the latin 'microcosmus', which itself originates from the greek 'mikros kosmos', meaning 'little world'. the greek 'kosmos' originally conveyed the idea of order and arrangement, evolving to signify the ordered universe. the conceptual logic is straightforward: 'micro-' (small) combined with '-cosm' (world) creates a term for a smaller system that reflects the structure and qualities of a much larger one, most famously applied to the idea of humanity as a miniature model of the universe.
Analysis
Structure: micro (small) + cosm (world, universe)
micro (from greek 'mikros', meaning small; a combining form denoting smallness or a unit of one millionth). cosm (from greek 'kosmos', meaning world, universe, or order; a combining form denoting the world or universe).
Examples
the village was a microcosm of the whole country, with all its social tensions and divisions.
in his writings, the human body is often described as a microcosm of the natural world.
the classroom experiment created a microcosm of a free-market economy.