million

noun

mil·​lion ˈmi(l)-yən 

plural millions or million

1

: a number equal to 1,000 times 1,000 see Table of Numbers

2

: a very large number

millions of cars on the road

3

: the mass of common people

—used with the

million adjective

millionfold

ˈmi(l)-yən-ˌfōld 

adverb or adjective

millionth

ˈmi(l)-yən(t)th 

adjective or noun

Synonyms of million

• people
• populace
• public
• crowd
• mass

Examples of million in a Sentence

intellectuals sneered that television was a medium clearly aimed at the millions

Recent Examples on the Web

Jo Malone London was acquired by The Estée Lauder Companies in 1999 and netted the founder an undisclosed sum of millions. —Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 15 Nov. 2025

The sweeping economic interventions launched during the Covid-19 pandemic may have made American homes less attainable for millions—a reality the housing market will need years, if not decades, to correct, warns top real-estate executive Sean Dobson. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2025

These individuals contribute millions and millions of dollars to our local economy and to our state economy. —Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 15 Nov. 2025

California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office warned that the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act could strip hundreds of millions of dollars a year in CalFresh food aid from low-income Californians and shift billions in costs to state and counties. —JosÉ Luis Villegas, Sacbee.com, 15 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English milioun, from Middle French milion, from Old Italian milione, augmentative of mille thousand, from Latin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing million

• look/feel like a million dollars/bucks
• never/not in a thousand/million/billion years
• one in a million
• thanks a bunch/lot/million
• thanks a million

Rhymes for million

• billion
• pillion
• trillion
• castilian
• civilian
• cotillion
• pavilion
• postilion
• quadrillion
• reptilian
• vermilion
• vermillion

Kids Definition

million

noun

mil·​lion ˈmil-yən 

plural millions or million

1

: a number equal to 1,000 times 1,000 see number

2

: a very great number

millions of mosquitoes

million adjective

millionth

-yən(t)th 

adjective or noun