octillion

American  

[ok-til-yuhn] / ɒkˈtɪl yən /

noun

plural

octillions,

plural

octillion

1. a cardinal number represented in the U.S. by 1 followed by 27 zeros, and in Great Britain by 1 followed by 48 zeros.

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adjective

1. amounting to one octillion in number.

octillion British  

/ ɒkˈtɪljən /

noun

1. (in Britain and Germany) the number represented as one followed by 48 zeros (10 ⁴⁸ )

2. (in the US, Canada, and France) the number represented as one followed by 27 zeros (10 ²⁷ )

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Other Word Forms

• octillionth noun

Etymology

Origin of octillion

1680–90; < French, equivalent to oct- oct- + -illion, as in million

Example Sentences

But the human body has more than a few to spare—altogether, there are about 7 octillion atoms in the average adult.

From Literature

Another way to write that number is 10 octillion, and “Fundamentals” is filled with facts like these — the kind of question adults think they can answer until their children ask.

From New York Times

And he reminds us that we have more atoms in our body — 10 octillion — than the number of stars in the visible cosmos.

From Washington Post

It's estimated that there are 3 octillion Prochlorococcus living in the world's oceans.

From Fox News

The xkcd cartoon password “correct horse battery staple” would theoretically take 15 octillion years to crack, but it has already been pwned twice in that form … and 111 times without the spaces.

From The Guardian