macro
1 Americanadjective
-
very large in scale, scope, or capability.
-
of or relating to macroeconomics.
noun
plural
macros-
anything very large in scale, scope, or capability.
-
Photography. a macro lens.
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Also called macroinstruction. Computers. an instruction that represents a sequence of instructions in abbreviated form.
combining form
-
large, long, or great in size or duration
macroscopic
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(in pathology) indicating abnormal enlargement or overdevelopment Compare micro-
macrocyte
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producing larger than life images
macrophotography
noun
-
a macro lens
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Also: macro instruction. a single computer instruction that initiates a set of instructions to perform a specific task
Usage
What does macro- mean? Macro- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “large; long; great; excessive.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology.Macro- comes from Greek makrós, meaning “long.” The Latin translation of makrós is longus, also meaning “long,” which is the source of terms such as longanimity and longitude. To learn more, check out our entries for both words.What are variants of macro-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, macro- becomes macr-, as in macrencephaly. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about macr-.
Etymology
Origin of macro1
Independent use of macro-, taken as an adjective, or by shortening of words with macro- as initial element
Origin of macro-2
< Greek makro-, combining form of makrós long; cognate with Latin macer lean; meager
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Green added that the company’s earnings came against a “backdrop of macro uncertainty.”
From Barron's
That’s true at a macro level, at a time of extreme disruption.
Yet the broader economy is increasingly exposed to what amounts to a massive macro bet on AI.
From MarketWatch
Citadel’s macro strategist Frank Flight asserts that AI adoption will be slower than many think and therefore abrupt labor disruption is unlikely to happen.
From MarketWatch
Lord Abbett’s portfolio managers combine a top-down macro approach to construct portfolios with bottom-up fundamental research on individual names for its 34 active strategies.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
