Billion: meaning, definitions and examples

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billion

[ˈbɪljən ]

Definitions

^{Context #1 | Noun}

large number

A billion is a number equal to one thousand million. It is often used in financial contexts to represent a very large sum of money or a large quantity of something.

Synonyms

1,000,000,000, thousand million.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
billion	Commonly used in American and modern British English to denote the number 1,000,000,000. It is appropriate in scientific, financial, and general discussions when referring to large quantities or amounts. The company's revenue surpassed one billion dollars last year. There are over seven billion people on Earth.
thousand million	Most commonly used in British English, especially older texts, to refer to 1,000,000,000. It is less common today. Historically, the term 'thousand million' was used more frequently in British English.
1,000,000,000	Used in mathematical contexts or when emphasizing the numeric value explicitly, often in written form. The population of the country reached 1,000,000,000. The distance between the galaxies is about 1,000,000,000 light years.

Word

Description / Examples

billion

Commonly used in American and modern British English to denote the number 1,000,000,000. It is appropriate in scientific, financial, and general discussions when referring to large quantities or amounts.

The company's revenue surpassed one billion dollars last year.
There are over seven billion people on Earth.

thousand million

Most commonly used in British English, especially older texts, to refer to 1,000,000,000. It is less common today.

Historically, the term 'thousand million' was used more frequently in British English.

1,000,000,000

Used in mathematical contexts or when emphasizing the numeric value explicitly, often in written form.

The population of the country reached 1,000,000,000.
The distance between the galaxies is about 1,000,000,000 light years.

Examples of usage

There are over seven billion people in the world.
The company made a profit of one billion dollars last year.

^{Context #2 | Noun}

British English

In British English, a billion traditionally means a million million, which is equivalent to a trillion in American English and other systems.

Synonyms

1,000,000,000,000, trillion.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
billion	Used to denote a number equal to 1,000,000,000 (one thousand million). Commonly used in financial contexts, large datasets, and scientific measurements. The company earned a profit of $5 billion last year. There are billions of stars in our galaxy.
trillion	Used to denote a number equal to 1,000,000,000,000 (one million million). Often used in discussions involving national debt, large-scale economics, and astronomy. The national debt has exceeded $20 trillion. There could be trillions of planets in the universe.

Word

Description / Examples

billion

Used to denote a number equal to 1,000,000,000 (one thousand million). Commonly used in financial contexts, large datasets, and scientific measurements.

The company earned a profit of $5 billion last year.
There are billions of stars in our galaxy.

trillion

Used to denote a number equal to 1,000,000,000,000 (one million million). Often used in discussions involving national debt, large-scale economics, and astronomy.

The national debt has exceeded $20 trillion.
There could be trillions of planets in the universe.

Examples of usage

The British government uses the term billion to mean a million million.

Interesting Facts

Etymology

The word 'billion' comes from the French word 'billion', which was originally a combination of 'bi-' (meaning two) and 'illion', used in large number naming.
Initially, 'billion' meant a million squared (1,000,000,000,000) in some countries, but it now universally means one thousand million.

Economics

In 2020, the global economy was projected to hit a size of about 84 trillion dollars, with billions representing a significant portion of economic data and statistics.
Billionaire status is typically defined as having a net worth of at least one billion dollars, a term made popular from the rise of wealthy individuals in the late 20th century.

Science

In scientific notation, a billion is represented as 10^9, which helps scientists easily write large numbers when dealing with quantities like molecular structures.
The observable universe is estimated to be around 93 billion light-years in diameter, showcasing the scale we deal with in astrophysics.

Pop Culture

In movies, phrases such as 'a billion dollars' are frequently used to emphasize the wealth and power of characters in heist or spy films.
The hit song 'Billionaire' by Travie McCoy features themes of wealth and aspiration, impacting popular conversations about money and success.

Environment

It is estimated that billions of plastic bottles are used globally each year, raising concerns about environmental sustainability and pollution.
The world's population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, amplifying discussions on resources and habitat sustainability.

Translations

Translations of the word "billion" in other languages:

🇵🇹 bilhão

🇮🇳 अरब

🇩🇪 Milliarde

🇮🇩 miliar

🇺🇦 мільярд

🇵🇱 miliard

🇯🇵 十億

🇫🇷 milliard

🇪🇸 mil millones

🇹🇷 milyar

🇰🇷 십억

🇸🇦 مليار

🇨🇿 miliarda

🇸🇰 miliarda

🇨🇳 十亿

🇸🇮 milijarda

🇮🇸 milljarður

🇰🇿 миллиард

🇬🇪 მილიარდი

🇦🇿 milyard

🇲🇽 mil millones

Word Frequency Rank

This word ranks #1,761, placing it within important intermediate vocabulary. Learning it will significantly improve your ability to express yourself in English.

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1758 variable
1759 slow
1760 grow
1761 billion
1762 thereby
1763 refused
1764 familiar
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