billion

American  

[bil-yuhn] / ˈbɪl yən /

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.

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adjective

1. equal in number to a billion.

billion British  

/ 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

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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

Etymology

Origin of billion

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

Compare meaning

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

• billion vs. trillion

Example Sentences

The company is expected to eye a listing as soon as this summer and to attempt to raise as much as $75 billion at a $1.75 trillion valuation.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

France’s upcoming 10.5 billion-12.5 billion euros auction of long-dated government bonds likely exacerbated selling in French bonds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Globalstar agreed to reserve 85% of its capacity for Apple’s satellite-based services as part of Apple’s $1.5 billion investment in the company.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

Today, innovation in the elevator industry continues, quietly powering a global business that generates more than $80 billion a year and moves hundreds of millions of passengers through buildings every day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Deutsche Bank’s CDO machine paid Hubler the 28 basis points he craved and, in December 2006 and January 2007, cut two deals, of $2 billion each.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis