trillion

noun

tril·​lion ˈtri(l)-yən How to pronounce trillion (audio)
1
: a number equal to 1,000 times one billion see Table of Numbers
2
: an indeterminately large number
a trillion mosquitoes out tonight
trillion adjective
trillionth adjective or noun

Examples of trillion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web OpenAI’s most capable model is widely believed to have been trained on several trillions. Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024 Spending trillions of dollars on endless wars and defense contracts is not going to address the existential threat of climate change or the likelihood of future pandemics. Bernie Sanders, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024 At the same time, lawmakers and Mr. Trump were spending trillions to respond to Covid and its economic effects, causing the federal deficit to spike. Angelo Fichera, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024 The speech, and the debates over policy over the course of the 2024 election, signal the start of a massive struggle facing Congress and the White House next year, as trillions of dollars in tax cuts pushed in 2017 by President Donald Trump expire. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 There are trillions of bacteria that are balanced and keeping the vulva healthy and protecting you and that can be thrown off by any number of things. Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2024 The result has been the loss of millions of jobs, the destruction of thousands of communities, and the accumulation of trillions of dollars of trade deficits. Robert E. Lighthizer, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2024 Investors, academic studies, and industry reports have all predicted major disruption ahead for businesses, with trillions of dollars in future revenue on the table. Will Knight, WIRED, 7 Feb. 2024 Japan has paid trillions of yen for companies such as TSMC, Samsung Electronics Co. and Micron Technology Inc. to move some operations to the country to secure supply of chips used in everything from automobile production to mobile phones. Takashi Mochizuki, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trillion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from tri- + -illion (as in million)

First Known Use

1690, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trillion was in 1690

Dictionary Entries Near trillion

Cite this Entry

“Trillion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trillion. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trillion

noun
tril·​lion ˈtril-yən How to pronounce trillion (audio)
1
: a number equal to 1,000 times one billion see number
2
: a very large number
a trillion mosquitoes out tonight
trillion adjective
trillionth adjective
trillionth noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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