microcosm

Meaning

Noun

• Human nature or the human body as representative of the wider universe; man considered as a miniature counterpart of divine or universal nature.
• The human body; a person.
• A smaller system which is seen as representative of a larger one.
• A small natural ecosystem; an artificial ecosystem set up as an experimental model.

Related

Similar words

• worldkin
• epitome
• exemplar
• paradigm

Opposite words

• macrocosm

Origin

• From French microcosme, from Latin microcosmus, from Ancient Greek μικρός ("small") + κόσμος; micro- + -cosm