billion

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Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈbɪljən/

Noun

billion (plural billions)

1. (US, modern British & Australian, short scale) a thousand million (logic: 1,000 × 1,000^2 ↗): 1 followed by nine zeros, 10⁹; a milliard
2. (dated, rare, British & Australian, long scale) A million million (logic: 1,000,000^2 ↗): a 1 followed by twelve zeros; 10¹²
3. (colloquial, hyperbole) An unspecified very large number.

   There were billions of people at the concert.

Synonyms

• (10⁹) thousand million
• (10⁹) milliard
• (10¹²) trillion (short scale)

Related terms

• trillion, coined at same time

Translations

• French: milliard, (obsolete) billion
• German: Milliarde
• Italian: miliardo
• Portuguese: bilhão, mil milhões
• Russian: миллиа́рд
• Spanish: millardo, mil millones

Translations

• French: billion
• German: Billion
• Italian: bilione
• Portuguese: bilião (Portugal), trilhão (Brazil)
• Russian: триллио́н
• Spanish: billón

Translations

• French: milliards, millions

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