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.
Private markets are sitting on trillions in dry powder—but they’re bottlenecked by brittle workflows, disconnected systems, and diligence cycles stuck in 2012. Don Muir, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025 The Trump Administration is projected to add trillions more. Mary Childs, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025 Now that the asset is measured in trillions, almost every capital allocator on the planet can put the exposure on. Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss, USA Today, 11 July 2025 The Republican budget adds trillions of dollars to our nation’s debt. Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 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 25 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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