macrocosm

/ˈmækrəˌkɑzəm/

Other forms: macrocosms

The macrocosm is everything that exists: it's another word for the universe or cosmos.

If you know that micro means "small" and macro means "large," that can help you remember the meaning of this word: the macrocosm is the largest thing there is, since it's a word for everything in existence. Macrocosm is also used to talk about the big picture versus the little picture (the microcosm).

Definitions of macrocosm

1. noun

   everything that exists anywhere
   synonyms: cosmos, creation, existence, universe, world

   types:

   closed universe

   (cosmology) a universe that is spatially closed and in which there is sufficient matter to halt the expansion that began with the big bang; the visible matter is only 10 percent of the matter required for closure but there may be large amounts of dark matter

   natural order

   the physical universe considered as an orderly system subject to natural (not human or supernatural) laws

   environment, nature

   (with 'the') the natural physical world including plants, animals, landscapes, etc.

   type of:

   natural object

   an object occurring naturally; not made by man