macro

1 of 3

adjective

mac·​ro ˈma-(ˌ)krō How to pronounce macro (audio)
1
: being large, thick, or exceptionally prominent
2
a
: of, involving, or intended for use with relatively large quantities or on a large scale
b
: of or relating to macroeconomics
3
4
: of or relating to a macro lens or to close-up photography

macro

2 of 3

noun

plural macros
: a single computer instruction that stands for a sequence of operations

macro-

3 of 3

combining form

: large : on a large scale
macrofossil
macromolecule
macroscopic
often used in compounds with a corresponding compound formed with micro-

Examples of macro in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
From rudeness in grocery stores to doors closing in your face rather than being held open by a stranger, behavior at a macro level seems to have fundamentally changed. Talia Varley, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 The fans, the media, and the team need to renounce all worry about the macro implications of winning or losing Wednesday’s game against the Bucks or Thursday’s with the Bulls. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 All of those data points should concern EV supporters, but they must be considered in the context of a much more promising macro picture. Justin Worland, TIME, 1 Mar. 2024 Speaking to Fortune’s Will Daniel, Goldman Sachs’ chief global equity strategist and head of macro research in Europe, Peter Oppenheimer made a comparison with the London canal systems of the 18th century. Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 29 Feb. 2024 The 32-key macro controller features nearly twice as many LED buttons as the Elgato Stream Deck MK. 2, all of which are programmable. Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 27 Feb. 2024 Yet Spain is also exposed to macro market pressures. John Hopewell, Variety, 16 Feb. 2024 The first is macro: This passive-aggressive nonsense Kuminga is peddling is a real issue for the NBA. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2024 At the macro level, China’s economy failed to rebound as strongly as had been hoped after COVID and is beset by a string of problems including the housing sector crisis (which weighs on saving and sentiment), high youth unemployment and strains on international trade. Patrick Frater, Variety, 7 Feb. 2024
Noun
One serving of this powder packs 20 grams of protein for just 90 calories, so its macro profile is pretty comparable to that of whey protein powder. April Benshosan, Glamour, 13 Mar. 2024 Today’s rally, which got several China and Hong Kong indices flat/slightly positive year to date, was driven by several macro and micro catalysts today. Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The cameras lack both the Hasselblad branding and the high-end macro and telephoto lenses found on the flagship model. Sarah Lord, PCMAG, 5 Feb. 2024 Citigroup is also expecting to see equities trade well in 2024 with Alex Saunders, Citi Research’s quantitative global macro and asset allocation team head, telling Fortune the assets tend to trade well in election years, particularly if an incumbent, like Joe Biden, is running. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2024 Collectively, Apple says that the three lenses can shoot in macro, 13 mm, 24 mm, 28 mm, 35 mm, 48 mm, and 77/120 mm modes without using digital zoom. Andrew Cunningham & Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2023 Early last year, Microsoft all but banned downloaded macros in Office unless someone goes out of their way to get infected. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 22 Aug. 2023 Productivity applications such as Word and Excel are where most people find macros to be useful. Ken Colburn, The Arizona Republic, 15 Jan. 2024 This attention to both the macro and micro speaks to the broad cross-section of visitors Munich attracts. Emma Spedding, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'macro.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

independent use of macro-

Noun

short for macroinstruction, from macro- + instruction

Combining form

borrowed from Greek makro-, combining form of makrós "long, tall, high, large" — more at meager

First Known Use

Adjective

1933, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of macro was in 1933

Dictionary Entries Near macro

Cite this Entry

“Macro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macro. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

macro

noun
mac·​ro
ˈmak-rō
plural macros
: a single computer instruction that represents a series of operations

Medical Definition

macro

adjective
mac·​ro ˈmak-(ˌ)rō How to pronounce macro (audio)
1
: large, thick, or excessively developed
macro layer of the cerebral cortex
2
a
: of or involving large quantities : intended for use with large quantities
a macro procedure in analysis
carrying out a test on a macro scale
b
: gross sense 1b
the macro appearance of a specimen

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