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

Volcanic activity has occurred in the area for millions of years, most recently around 2,100 years ago. —Staff, USA Today, 8 June 2026

While the chain has expanded to almost 200 locations, local community and conservation (the company has preserved millions of acres of land for wildlife) are at the core of not only Bass Pro but also Morris’s personal ethos. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

Although Blatter himself was not charged in the investigation, his regime collapsed under the weight of hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes for TV rights and other spoils, and he was soon banned from international football for ethical breaches. —Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026

Roland Garros announced that all spectators with a ticket to the Arnaldi-Cobolli semifinal would receive a full refund, likely costing the tournament millions of dollars. —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 7 June 2026

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