billion
UK: ˈbɪl.jən | US: ˈbɪl.jən
n. 1,000,000,000 (10⁹, one thousand million)
n. (dated British) 1,000,000,000,000 (10¹², one million million)
The word "billion" originated in 16th-century French, combining "bi-" (two) and "-illion" (a suffix for large numbers). Initially, it denoted a million squared (10¹²) in the long-scale system (used in British English until the mid-20th century). Later, American English adopted the short-scale system, redefining it as a thousand million (10⁹). The morpheme "bi-" reflects the original idea of a "second power" of a million, though the modern meaning diverges.
The company's revenue exceeded $5 billion last year.
A billion stars are visible in the night sky with advanced telescopes.
The project aims to reduce carbon emissions by a billion tons.
(Historical) In 19th-century Britain, a billion meant a trillion by today's standards.
It would take over 30 years to count to a billion at one number per second.