billion

noun

bil·​lion ˈbi(l)-yən How to pronounce billion (audio)
1
US : a number equal to 1,000 million see Table of Numbers
also, British : a number equal to 1,000 milliard see Table of Numbers
2
: a very large number
billion adjective
billionth adjective or 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

We could see a billion stars in the sky.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So the Justice Department also wants Google to stop paying out billions to device vendors like Apple so that Google is the default search engine on smartphones and tablets. Michel Martin, NPR, 22 Nov. 2024 President Joe Biden took an ambitious stance on reducing the nation's contributions to climate change, sending billions of dollars to states for the clean energy transition through his signing of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024 Cable channels have long been a key economic pillar by generating billions of dollars in cable distribution fees that more than covered up the misses when big-budget movies flopped or during advertising recessions. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024 The country, which remains committed to the Paris process, is investing billions into clean energy generation. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for billion 

Word History

Etymology

French, from bi- + -illion (as in million)

First Known Use

1690, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of billion was in 1690

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Dictionary Entries Near billion

Cite this Entry

“Billion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billion. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

billion

noun
bil·​lion ˈbil-yən How to pronounce billion (audio)
1
: a number equal to 1,000 million : 1,000,000,000 see number
2
: a very large number
billion adjective
billionth adjective or noun

More from Merriam-Webster on billion

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