quadrillion

noun

qua·​dril·​lion kwä-ˈdril-yən How to pronounce quadrillion (audio)
US : a number equal to 1 followed by 15 zeros see Table of Numbers
also, British : a number equal to 1 followed by 24 zeros see Table of Numbers
quadrillion adjective
quadrillionth adjective or noun

Examples of quadrillion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The World’s Earliest Story Around 13.77 billion years ago, our entire visible universe—every atom, every speck of dust, every star, and every galaxy—was crammed into a volume no bigger than a peach with a temperature of over a quadrillion degrees. Popular Mechanics, 19 July 2023 In the extremely distant past, around 13.77 billion years ago, our universe was the size of a peach and had a temperature of over a quadrillion degrees. Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 22 June 2023 The plastic used could have produced seven quadrillion Lego blocks, 650 trillion plastic water bottles or more fidget spinners than a billion octopuses could spin in a dozen lifetimes. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 20 July 2017 Magnetars — of which only about 30 are known — are neutron stars with magnetic fields a thousand times stronger still, so about a quadrillion times Earth’s magnetic field strength. Alison Klesman, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2019 In 2021, the United States consumed 97.3 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) of energy, with the transportation sector using 26.9 quads, 90 percent of it from petroleum. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Nov. 2022 By some estimates, hydrates could store more than 10 quadrillion cubic feet of harvestable methane — enough to fulfill the present gas needs of the entire United States for the next 400 years. Lisa Raffensperger, Discover Magazine, 7 Jan. 2014 Sounds like a pittance compared to that $10,000 quadrillion. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 27 Jan. 2023 In terms of sheer mass, that works out to around a quadrillion, or thousand trillion, tons of diamond. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2018 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quadrillion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from quadri- + -illion (as in million)

First Known Use

circa 1690, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quadrillion was circa 1690

Dictionary Entries Near quadrillion

Cite this Entry

“Quadrillion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quadrillion. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

quadrillion

noun
qua·​dril·​lion kwä-ˈdril-yən How to pronounce quadrillion (audio)
US : a number equal to 1 followed by 15 zeros see number
also, British : a number equal to 1 followed by 24 zeros see number
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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