billion
noun
Did you know?
How much is a billion? It might depend on whom you ask. Billion was borrowed from French in the late 1600s to indicate the number one million raised to the power of two, or a million million—a number represented by a 1 followed by 12 zeros. However, the French later changed their naming conventions so that a billion became a thousand million (a 1 followed by 9 zeros) and a trillion became a thousand thousand million (or a million million, the old billion). The French have since returned to the older system, but it was this new system that was adopted by American English speakers in the 1800s. In Britain, the newer system has seen increasing use since the 1950s, but the older sense is still sometimes used there as well.
Examples of billion in a Sentence
Paul Egan, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
According to Bloomberg, the setback could lead to billions of dollars in accounting charges.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
The White House is withholding billions of dollars in federal funds for infrastructure and energy projects in blue states, a move legal experts say is likely unlawful.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Critics of that plan — who include advocates and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle — have warned that such steep cuts could prematurely end missions in which NASA has invested billions of dollars and threaten the nation’s ability to continue making world-leading breakthroughs.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for billion
Cite this Entry
“Billion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billion. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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