mega-
variant of megalo- (megalith ); also the initial element in units of measure that are equal to one million of the units denoted by the base word (megahertz ). M
mega-
American
especially before a vowel,
meg-.
mega
1
British
/ ˈmɛɡə /
adjective
mega-
2
British
combining form
-
M. denoting 10 6
megawatt
-
(in computer technology) denoting 2 20 (1 048 576)
megabyte
-
large or great
megalith
-
informal great in importance or amount
megastar
mega–
Scientific
-
A prefix that means:
-
Large, as in megadose, a large dose.
-
One million, as in megahertz, one million hertz.
-
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.
See Examples For:
Beek looked at the yachts around us, mega- and not.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2023
The West is in a drought so huge that everyone started throwing the prefix mega- in front of it.
From Salon ● Dec. 29, 2021
In fact, the foundation drew contributions from some who were once Clinton’s most bitter GOP enemies, including Newsmax chief executive Christopher Ruddy and conservative mega- donor Richard Mellon Scaife.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 2, 2015
The model in the courtyard is of a never-realized mega- tower by Vladimir Tatlin, with a rotating block for each arm of Soviet power.
From BusinessWeek ● Nov. 3, 2011
Four of the men were shouting something through mega- phones.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
He was later to start producing those commodities, building mega factories and expanding operations into at least 14 African countries.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
As mega IPOs suck up capital, smaller AI-related public listings are being delayed or shelved.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
These include personal preoccupations like bonsai trees and golden retrievers, celebrities such as pop star Olivia Rodrigo and mega events like Formula One and the World Cup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Queen Camilla has been running her Queen's Reading Room project for five years, a kind of mega book club, with festivals and events and outreach projects, such as bringing books to homeless shelters.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Now, as I watched the mega screen where the roster of names would appear, I felt, deep down, that I could’ve done better.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
