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

• commoners
• commons
• crowd
• herd
• hoi polloi
• mass
• mob
• multitude
• people
• plebeians
• plebs
• populace
• public
• rank and file

Examples of million in a Sentence

intellectuals sneered that television was a medium clearly aimed at the millions

Recent Examples on the Web

The map is a fascinating representation of the protection geography and meteorology gives the millions of people who live in the mid-Atlantic region — especially in the Washington DC area. —Doyle Rice, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025

The week’s biggest stories California could lose millions from Trump’s tariffs. —Alyssa Bereznak, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025

That rate increase shifted millions in costs from large corporate power users onto the bills of regular Floridians and small businesses. —Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2025

This jackpot win – and the millions of dollars going to non-jackpot winners every drawing – is the result of years of planning, collaboration, and listening to what players want. —Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025

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