It received its current designation in 1998 by Kloos et al. Members of the genus Macrococcus are Gram-positive, nonmotile, non-spore-forming cocci that are coagulase negative and catalase positive.
They can be distinguished phenotypically from most staphylococci on the basis of their cellular morphology (they are 2.5 – 4.0 times larger in diameter compared to Staphylococcus aureus) and their positive cytochrome c oxidase reaction.
Species in this genus are resistant to bacitracin and lysozyme and sensitive to furazolidone.
A methicillin resistance gene has been identified in this genus.
The name Macrococcus is a masculine Neo-Latin noun composed of the Greek adjective makros (μάκρος) meaning "large"[6] and the Neolatin masculine noun coccus intended to mean a coccus shaped bacterium, as it comes from the Greek masculine noun kokkos (κόκκος) meaning "berry",[7] consequently the noun Macrococcus, means "large coccus".