mega-
Americancombining form
-
M. denoting 10 6
megawatt
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(in computer technology) denoting 2 20 (1 048 576)
megabyte
-
large or great
megalith
-
informal great in importance or amount
megastar
adjective
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A prefix that means:
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Large, as in megadose, a large dose.
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One million, as in megahertz, one million hertz.
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2 20 (that is, 1,048,576), which is the power of 2 closest to a million, as in megabyte.
Usage
What does mega- mean? Mega- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “large, great, grand, abnormally large.” It is used in many scientific and medical terms.In science, mega- is specifically used as a prefix in units of measure equaling a factor of “one million.” It’s abbreviation is M. So, a megawatt (MW) is one million watts.Mega- comes from the Greek mégas, meaning “large” or “great.”What are variants of mega-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, mega- becomes meg-, as in megohm.Mega- is a variant of megalo- and megal-, as in megalomania and megalopsia. Learn more about their specific applications in our Words That Use articles.
Etymology
Origin of mega-
Combining form representing Greek mégas large, great
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nasa's mega rocket has been moved to the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, as the final preparations get underway for the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.
From BBC
JPMorgan Chase JPM 0.45%increase; green up pointing triangle is building out a new team inside its investment bank to help companies raise private capital as an alternative to going public, a sign that America’s biggest bank thinks the private markets will remain dominant even with some mega IPOs expected later this year.
"Vijay remains capable of turning a movie release into a mass civic event. He is perhaps the last of the mega stars of this scale," Shrikrishna said.
From BBC
Large investors who owned between 101 and 1,000 properties made about 3% of investment purchases, and mega investors who owned more than 1,000 properties only bought 2.5% of properties.
From MarketWatch
Large investors who owned between 101 and 1,000 properties made about 3% of investment purchases, and mega investors who owned more than 1,000 properties only bought 2.5% of properties.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
