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billion

[ bil-yuhn ]

noun

plural billions, (as after a numeral) billion.
  1. a cardinal number represented in the U.S. by 1 followed by 9 zeros, and in Great Britain by 1 followed by 12 zeros.
  2. a very large number:

    I've told you so billions of times.



adjective

  1. equal in number to a billion.

billion

/ ˈɪə /

noun

  1. one thousand million: it is written as 1 000 000 000 or 10 9
  2. (formerly, in Britain) one million million: it is written as 1 000 000 000 000 or 10 12
  3. often plural any exceptionally large number
“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

determiner

  1. preceded by a or a cardinal number
    1. amounting to a billion

      it seems like a billion years ago

    2. ( as pronoun )

      we have a billion here

“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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Derived Forms

  • ˈDzԳٳ, adjectivenoun
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Other Word Forms

  • lDzԳٳ adjective noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of billion1

1680–90; < French, equivalent to b ( i )- bi- 1 + -illion, as in million
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Word History and Origins

Origin of billion1

C17: from French, from bi- 1+ -llion as in million
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Compare Meanings

How does billion compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Health has become a defining issue for voters ahead of the nation's election on 3 May, with both of Australia's major parties promising billions of dollars in additional funding.

From

Q: Congress is considering billions in cuts to Medicaid.

From

In the 20 years since its creation, YouTube has grown from humble beginnings to billions of videos being watched every day - but can posting videos on the platform offer a viable career?

From

The group is the most short dollar since September, with bearish bets on the U.S. currency worth about $13.9 billion during the week ended April 22, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

From

China invests billions of dollars in infrastructure projects across Central and South America.

From

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Billings methodbillionaire