Definition of millennium
millennia
play \-nē-ə\ ormillenniums
1a : the thousand years mentioned in Revelation (see revelation 3) 20 during which holiness is to prevail and Christ is to reign on earthb : a period of great happiness or human perfection
2a : a period of 1000 years; especially : one reckoned from the beginning of the Christian era at the start of the third millenniumb : a 1000th anniversary or its celebration In 2015 the city of Leipzig, Germany, celebrated its millennium.
From the M-W Editors
Examples of millennium in a Sentence
The book describes the changes that have occurred in the landscape over many millennia.
The year 2000 was celebrated as the beginning of the third millennium.
Recent Examples of millennium from the Web
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Because plastic doesn’t degrade easily, there will be zillions of tons of the material on our planet by the end of the millennium.
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As for Radbertus, a quarter of a millennium later, in 1073, he was canonised by Pope Gregory VII.
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The Sooners and Longhorns ruled the Big 12 in the first decade of the millennium when Stoops and Brown battled in the Cotton Bowl for the division and annually for recruits.
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Annual GDP growth has averaged more than 7 percent since the turn of the millennium.
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If new LSU offensive coordinator Matt Canada does successfully bring the Tiger offense into this millennium, maybe there’s a chance of an upset here. 3.
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Once a main trading center on the ancient Silk Road, Peshawar had been conquered and re-conquered for millennia and was still a crossroads of cultures in 1987.
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PIEVE TORINA, Italy — After a series of powerful earthquakes struck Italy last year, Martin Wikelski rushed here to test a hunch that has tantalized scientists and thinkers for millenniums: Can animals anticipate natural disasters?
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The Ethiopian eunuch subverts all of this by creating a place for himself where there wasn’t one for him before, much like resilient sexual minorities have done for millennia.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'millennium.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Since in Latin mille means "thousand", a millennium lasts 1,000 years. Thus, we're living today at the beginning of the third millennium since the birth of Christ. But some religious sects, relying on a prophecy in the biblical Book of Revelation, speak of a coming millennium when Jesus will return to reign on earth for 1,000 years, evil will be banished, and all will live in peace and happiness. Members of these sects who keep themselves in a constant state of preparedness are called millenarians or millennialists.
Origin and Etymology of millennium
New Latin, from Latin mille thousand + New Latin -ennium (as in biennium)
Other Calendar Terms
MILLENNIUM Defined for English Language Learners
millennium
playDefinition of millennium for English Language Learners
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: a period of 1,000 years
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: a period of a thousand years counted from the beginning of the Christian era
MILLENNIUM Defined for Kids
millennium
playDefinition of millennium for Students
millennia
\-nē-ə\ ormillenniums
1 : a period of 1000 years
2 : a 1000th anniversary or its celebration
millennial
\-nē-əl\ adjectiveLearn More about millennium
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See words that rhyme with millennium Spanish Central: Translation of millennium Nglish: Translation of millennium for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of millennium for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about millennium
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