billion
noun
Did you know?
How much is a billion? It might depend on whom you ask. Billion was borrowed from French in the late 1600s to indicate the number one million raised to the power of two, or a million million—a number represented by a 1 followed by 12 zeros. However, the French later changed their naming conventions so that a billion became a thousand million (a 1 followed by 9 zeros) and a trillion became a thousand thousand million (or a million million, the old billion). The French have since returned to the older system, but it was this new system that was adopted by American English speakers in the 1800s. In Britain, the newer system has seen increasing use since the 1950s, but the older sense is still sometimes used there as well.
Examples of billion in a Sentence
Michel Martin, NPR, 22 Nov. 2024
President Joe Biden took an ambitious stance on reducing the nation's contributions to climate change, sending billions of dollars to states for the clean energy transition through his signing of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.
—Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
Cable channels have long been a key economic pillar by generating billions of dollars in cable distribution fees that more than covered up the misses when big-budget movies flopped or during advertising recessions.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
The country, which remains committed to the Paris process, is investing billions into clean energy generation.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for billion 
Dictionary Entries Near billion
Cite this Entry
“Billion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billion. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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