trillion
Trillion (num) means a million million: 1 followed by twelve zeros (10¹²), the standard modern meaning. Example: “The national debt now exceeds a trillion dollars.”
How to use trillion
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA thousand billion — an enormous number, 1 followed by 12 zeros.
Older British usage sometimes defined a trillion as 10¹⁸, but the American 10¹² value is now standard worldwide.
Word forms
trillions plural, trillions plural
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The national debt now exceeds a _____ dollars.
Etymology
From French tri- ("three") plus -illion, following the pattern of million and billion.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for trillion
Frequently asked questions
What does “trillion” mean?
The word “trillion” means a million million: 1 followed by twelve zeros (10¹²), the standard modern meaning. In plain terms, a thousand billion — an enormous number, 1 followed by 12 zeros.
How do you pronounce “trillion”?
“Trillion” is pronounced TRIHL-yuhn (/ˈtɹɪljən/ in IPA).
How do you use “trillion” in a sentence?
Here is “trillion” used in a sentence: “The national debt now exceeds a trillion dollars.”
What part of speech is “trillion”?
Depending on how it is used, “trillion” can be a num and a noun.
Where does the word “trillion” come from?
The word “trillion” comes from French. From French tri- ("three") plus -illion, following the pattern of million and billion.
Is “trillion” a common word?
“Trillion” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “trillion” have?
“Trillion” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a million million: 1 followed by twelve zeros (10¹²), the standard modern meaning.
How many zeros are in a trillion?
In the standard modern meaning, a trillion is a million million, written as 1 followed by twelve zeros, or 10 to the power of 12. This is the short-scale definition used in the United States, the United Kingdom, and most international contexts today.
What is the difference between a trillion and a billion?
A trillion is one thousand times larger than a billion in the standard modern short-scale system, since a billion is 1 followed by nine zeros while a trillion is 1 followed by twelve zeros. This thousand-fold gap makes the two numbers very different in scale despite sounding similar.
Is 'trillion' ever used loosely to mean just a very large number?
Yes, beyond its precise numerical value, trillion is also used informally to describe an extremely large, often unspecified quantity, similar to how people say 'a million' casually. In this looser sense, the exact figure is not meant literally, only the impression of an enormous amount.