billion

[bil-yuhn]

noun

plural

billions ,

plural

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

/ ˈbɪljən /

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

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

Other Word Forms

• billionth adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of billion¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of billion¹

C17: from French, from _bi- ¹ + -llion as in million

Example Sentences

The losses forced the plan to assess its member carriers $1 billion to pay its claims, half of which could be recouped from the carriers’ own customers across the state.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The U.S. and other countries are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into data centers, making AI a key economic engine.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

A trade deal with India – "the fastest growing economy on the planet, 1.4 billion potential consumers," Mr Atteslander points out – came into force on 1 October.

Read more on BBC

It has about 86 billion neurons and 600 trillion synapses, many more than the artificial equivalents.

Read more on BBC

The company, with a market value of $76.5 billion, scaled back its previous guidance about electrification at a Capital Markets Day on Thursday but still expects 20% of its lineup to be electric by 2030.

Read more on Barron's