Link Centre Dictionary

billion

bil·lion

UK/ˈbɪljən/ US/ˈbɪ(l)jən/ common us
adjective (2) noun (2)

adjective

1.

denoting a quantity consisting of one thousand million items or units in the United States

Synonyms
Similar
2.

denoting a quantity consisting of one million million items or units in Great Britain

Synonyms
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noun

1.

the number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros; in the United Kingdom the usage followed in the United States is frequently seen

Synonyms
2.

the number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros; in the United Kingdom the usage followed in the United States is frequently seen

Synonyms

Origin

From French billion, equivalent to bi- (“two”) + -illion.

Phrases

  • billion laughs
  • billion-dollar grass
  • billion-dollar question
  • Boring Billion
  • coined after the series million
  • coined at same time
  • golden billion
  • same origin

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.