million

[mil-yuhn]

noun

plural

millions ,

plural

million .

1. a cardinal number, a thousand times one thousand.

2. a symbol for this number, as 1,000,000 or M̅.

3. millions, a number between 1,000,000 and 999,999,999, as in referring to an amount of money.

   His fortune was in the millions of dollars.

4. the amount of a thousand thousand units of money, as dollars, pounds, or euros.

   The three Dutch paintings fetched a million.

5. a very great number of times.

   Thanks a million.

6. the million(s), the mass of the common people; the multitude.

   poetry for the millions.

adjective

1. amounting to one million in number.

2. amounting to a very great number.

   a million things to do.

million

/ ˈmɪljən /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the product of 1000 multiplied by 1000 See also number

2. a numeral, 1 000 000, 10 ⁶ , M, etc, representing this number

3. informal,  (often plural) an extremely large but unspecified number, quantity, or amount

   I have millions of things to do

determiner

1. 1. amounting to a million

      a million light years away

   2. ( as pronoun )

      I can see a million under the microscope

2. informal,  done for; sunk

Other Word Forms

• multimillion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of million¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English milioun, from Middle French, from Old Italian millione ( Italian milione ), equivalent to mille “thousand” (from Latin mīlle ) + -one, augmentative suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of million¹

C17: via Old French from early Italian millione, from mille thousand, from Latin

Idioms and Phrases

see feel like oneself (a million dollars); look like a million dollars; one in a million.

Example Sentences

Dharmendra, who often described himself as "a simple man", commanded extraordinary affection and loyalty from his tens of millions of fans.

Read more on BBC

Hinkley Point C in Somerset is expected to start operating in the early 2030s, while Sizewell C - which the government says will capable of powering six million homes - will follow later that decade.

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But for the first time in decades, the three million inhabitants of the capital Mogadishu -- relatively well-protected from the conflict still raging just a couple of hours outside the city -- are witnessing a building boom.

Read more on Barron's

Nearly three million people have signed a petition against the plan, triggering a debate in parliament's Westminster Hall on December 8.

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A month after the offering, he paid more than $9 million for a Los Angeles home previously owned by musician and producer Pharrell Williams.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bank 
• lot 
• much 
• sum 
• thousand 
• ton 
• total 
• trillion