billion
BIHL-yuhn
Billion (num) means a thousand million: 1,000,000,000 (10⁹), the standard modern meaning. Example: “The company is now worth over a billion dollars.”
num
1
A thousand million: 1,000,000,000 (10⁹), the standard modern meaning.
"The company is now worth over a billion dollars."
2
An extremely large, unspecified number.
"I've told you a billion times to lock the door."
How to use billion
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe number 1,000,000,000, or loosely, "a huge number."
UK vs US
The old British "long scale" billion (10¹²) is obsolete; UK and US now both use 10⁹.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
a billion dollars
billions of people
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Word forms
- Plural
- billions
Fill the gap
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The company is now worth over a _____ dollars.
Etymology
From French billion, formed from bi- ("two") plus -illion. Older British usage once meant a million million (10¹²), but the "thousand million" meaning is now standard worldwide.
Synonyms
View more →
a thousand million
Rhymes for billion
region
ablation
allusion
emulsion
ideation
novation
abortion
abrasion
diffusion
elocution
extension
oxidation
See all rhymes for billion →
Frequently asked questions
What does “billion” mean?
The word “billion” means a thousand million: 1,000,000,000 (10⁹), the standard modern meaning. In plain terms, the number 1,000,000,000, or loosely, "a huge number.".
How do you pronounce “billion”?
“Billion” is pronounced BIHL-yuhn (/ˈbɪljən/ in IPA).
How do you use “billion” in a sentence?
Here is “billion” used in a sentence: “The company is now worth over a billion dollars.”
What part of speech is “billion”?
“Billion” is a num.
Where does the word “billion” come from?
The word “billion” comes from French. From French billion, formed from bi- ("two") plus -illion. Older British usage once meant a million million (10¹²), but the "thousand million" meaning is now standard worldwide.
Is “billion” a common word?
“Billion” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “billion” have?
“Billion” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a thousand million: 1,000,000,000 (10⁹), the standard modern meaning.
How many millions are in a billion?
A billion equals one thousand million, so there are exactly 1,000 millions in a single billion. Written out in full it is 1,000,000,000. Counting upward, a thousand thousands make a million, and a thousand of those millions add up to one billion.
What is the difference between a billion and a trillion?
A billion is a thousand million (10⁹), while a trillion is a thousand billion (10¹²) — a thousand times larger. In figures, a billion has nine zeros and a trillion has twelve. So a trillion dwarfs a billion in the same way a billion dwarfs a million.
Does a billion mean the same thing in every country?
Today, almost everywhere, a billion means a thousand million (10⁹) — the short-scale value used in finance and science worldwide. Historically, though, some European countries used a 'long scale' where a billion meant a million million (10¹²). The modern thousand-million meaning is now the accepted standard.
How many zeros are in a billion?
A billion has nine zeros: 1,000,000,000. You can picture it as a one followed by nine zeros, or as the numeral 1 with three groups of three zeros after it. That makes it a thousand times bigger than a million, which has six zeros.
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