1. very small sovereign countries, typically with populations under 1 million
Usage: political geography
2. specific quantum mechanical states of a system characterized by particular energy levels and configurations
Usage: physics; chemistry

Examples

• Monaco and Vatican City are famous European microstates.
• San Marino is one of the world’s oldest microstates.
• Many microstates rely heavily on tourism for their economy.
• The physicist studied the microstates of the atomic system.
• Each microstate corresponds to a specific arrangement of particles.
• Statistical mechanics deals with counting microstates in thermodynamic systems.