billion

[ bil-yuh n ]
/ ˈbɪl yən /

noun, plural bil·lions, (as after a numeral) bil·lion.

a cardinal number represented in the U.S. by 1 followed by 9 zeros, and in Great Britain by 1 followed by 12 zeros.
a very large number: I've told you so billions of times.

adjective

equal in number to a billion.

Origin of billion

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

OTHER WORDS FROM billion

bil·lionth, adjective, noun

Words nearby billion

billing cycle, billing machine, billings, billings method, billingsgate, billion, billionaire, billiton, billman, billon, billow

Words related to billion

lots, tons, abundance, masses, scads, plenty, heaps, piles, gobs, loads, thousands, millions, many

Example sentences from the Web for billion

British Dictionary definitions for billion

billion
/ (ˈbɪljən) /

noun plural -lions or -lion

one thousand million: it is written as 1 000 000 000 or 10 9
(formerly, in Britain) one million million: it is written as 1 000 000 000 000 or 10 12
(often plural) any exceptionally large number

determiner

(preceded by a or a cardinal number)
  1. amounting to a billionit seems like a billion years ago
  2. (as pronoun)we have a billion here

Derived forms of billion

billionth, adjective, noun

Word Origin for billion

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