microplastic
noun
mi·cro·plas·tic
ˌmī-krō-ˈpla-stik 
plural microplastics
1
: a very small piece of plastic especially when occurring as an environmental pollutant
—usually used in plural
… the microplastics that have made their way into the food chain and even the air we breathe.—
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times… the Mariana Trench contains the highest levels of microplastics (most likely from clothing, bottles, packaging and fishing gear) yet found in the open ocean, offering irrefutable proof that plastics have penetrated even the most remote places on the planet.—Rina Li
Rina Li
specifically
: a piece of plastic that is five millimeters or smaller in size
Indeed, a handful of sand or cup of seawater from nearly anywhere in the world will probably be peppered with microplastics—pieces that are tinier than a small pea and often invisible. —Jennifer Ackerman
Jennifer Ackerman 2
: material consisting of microplastics
Most of that microplastic is coming not from broken down plastic soda bottles or shopping bags but textiles and clothing made of synthetic materials like polyester.—Dharna Noor
compare nanoplastic
Dharna Noor
microplastic
adjective
microplastic pollution
microplastic debris
Examples of microplastic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Nordic Institute of Dental Materials has been looking into the release of microplastics from night guards.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
Watch the video to learn more about how microplastics have become a major issue for big oil.
—Ryan Baker, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2025
The data reveals systemic vulnerabilities: only 9% of plastic waste is successfully recycled globally, microplastics now contaminate human blood as confirmed by groundbreaking research, and current projections show plastic production almost tripling by 2060.
—Trond Arne Undheim, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Unfortunately, these microplastics are largely present in a vast variety of our daily items, including food packaging, cutting boards, and cooking utensils.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for microplastic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
Watch the video to learn more about how microplastics have become a major issue for big oil.
—Ryan Baker, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2025
The data reveals systemic vulnerabilities: only 9% of plastic waste is successfully recycled globally, microplastics now contaminate human blood as confirmed by groundbreaking research, and current projections show plastic production almost tripling by 2060.
—Trond Arne Undheim, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Unfortunately, these microplastics are largely present in a vast variety of our daily items, including food packaging, cutting boards, and cooking utensils.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for microplastic
Cite this Entry
“Microplastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microplastic. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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