trillion

noun

tril·​lion ˈtri(l)-yən How to pronounce trillion (audio)
1
: a number equal to 1,000 times one billion see Table of Numbers
2
: an indeterminately large number
a trillion mosquitoes out tonight
trillion adjective
trillionth adjective or noun

Examples of trillion in a Sentence

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.
Several holdouts were in attendance, including Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Mike Lee (R-UT), whose opposition is rooted in projections that the legislation will swell the national debt by trillions of dollars over the next decade. Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 26 June 2025 These policies have saved trillions of dollars and millions of lives. Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 The network now supports trillions of dollars in tokenized assets, according to Digital Asset's CEO. Ryan Browne, CNBC, 24 June 2025 The surplus of photons triggered a signal through my optic nerves, and in a millisecond, a web of electrical signals reached across my brain, branching into billions of neurons and trillions of synapses. Michael Jones McKean, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for trillion

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1690, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trillion was in 1690

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trillion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trillion. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

trillion

noun
tril·​lion ˈtril-yən How to pronounce trillion (audio)
1
: a number equal to 1,000 times one billion see number
2
: a very large number
a trillion mosquitoes out tonight
trillion adjective
trillionth adjective
trillionth noun

More from Merriam-Webster on trillion

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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