billion
a cardinal number represented in the U.S. by 1 followed by 9 zeros, and in Great Britain by 1 followed by 12 zeros.
a very large number: I've told you so billions of times.
equal in number to a billion.
Origin of billion
1Other words from billion
- billionth, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for billion
/ (ˈbɪljən) /
one thousand million: it is written as 1 000 000 000 or 10 9
(formerly, in Britain) one million million: it is written as 1 000 000 000 000 or 10 12
(often plural) any exceptionally large number
(preceded by a or a cardinal number)
amounting to a billion: it seems like a billion years ago
(as pronoun): we have a billion here
Origin of billion
1Derived forms of billion
- billionth, adjective, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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