billion
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
Alexandra Banner, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
The plan relies on billions in Sales Tax and Revenue, or STAR bonds.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2025
The new order may impact billions of dollars in funding allocated to state and local governments.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
The trial hinged on accusations that Menendez used his political might to influence criminal investigations involving the two businessmen and helped direct billions in U.S. aid to Egypt to bolster their business dealings.
—Kristie Cattafi, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Billion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billion. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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