billion

noun

bil·​lion ˈbi(l)-yən 

1

US : a number equal to 1,000 million see Table of Numbers

also, British : a number equal to 1,000 milliard see Table of Numbers

2

: a very large number

billion adjective

billionth

ˈbi(l)-yən(t)th 

adjective or noun

Did you know?

How much is a billion? It might depend on whom you ask. Billion was borrowed from French in the late 1600s to indicate the number one million raised to the power of two, or a million million—a number represented by a 1 followed by 12 zeros. However, the French later changed their naming conventions so that a billion became a thousand million (a 1 followed by 9 zeros) and a trillion became a thousand thousand million (or a million million, the old billion). The French have since returned to the older system, but it was this new system that was adopted by American English speakers in the 1800s. In Britain, the newer system has seen increasing use since the 1950s, but the older sense is still sometimes used there as well.

Examples of billion in a Sentence

We could see a billion stars in the sky.

Recent Examples on the Web

Russia says the United States and its European allies are pushing the world to the brink of confrontation between nuclear powers by supporting Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars of weapons, some of which are being used against Russian territory. —Guy Faulconbridge, USA TODAY, 6 May 2024

The case, brought by former Arizona State swimmer Grant House, contends college athletes should receive a cut of the billions of dollars in media rights fees that go to the power conferences and the NCAA, dating to 2016. —Ralph D. Russo, Fortune, 4 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1690, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing billion

• never/not in a thousand/million/billion years

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Kids Definition

billion

noun

bil·​lion ˈbil-yən 

1

: a number equal to 1,000 million : 1,000,000,000 see number

2

: a very large number

billion adjective

billionth

-yən(t)th 

adjective or noun