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sextillion

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noun, often attributive sex·til·lion \ seks-ˈtil-yən \

Definition of sextillion

US :a number equal to 1 followed by 21 zeros — see Table of Numbers; also, British :a number equal to 1 followed by 36 zeros — see Table of Numbers

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Recent Examples of sextillion from the Web

If you were compressed into a black hole, for instance, the result would be 1 sextillion times smaller than a grain of sand.

— sophie weiner, Popular Mechanics, "How Big Are Black Holes, Really?," 16 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sextillion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sextillion

French, irregular from sex- (from Latin sex) + -illion (as in million)

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