trillion
UK: ˈtrɪljən | US: ˈtrɪljən
n. 1. The number equivalent to 10^12 (1,000,000,000,000) in the short-scale system (used in the US and modern British English).
n. 2. Informally, an extremely large but indefinite number.
trillion = tri<three> + (m)illion<thousand>
- tri (from Latin tres, meaning "three")
- (m)illion (from Italian milione, meaning "great thousand," derived from Latin mille "thousand" + augmentative suffix -one)
Etymology Origin:
The word trillion follows the systematic naming of large numbers in the Western tradition, where prefixes denote powers of a thousand. The tri- prefix indicates the third power of a million (10^6)^3 = 10^18 in the long-scale system (used historically in Europe), but in the short-scale system (adopted by the US and UK), it represents 10^12. The term reflects Latin and Italian influences, with -illion serving as a base for constructing large numerical terms.
The national debt has surpassed trillions of dollars.
A trillion stars are estimated to exist in the Milky Way.
The project requires trillions in investment over the next decade.
"A trillion thanks" is an exaggerated expression of gratitude.
Scientists study trillions of data points to model climate change.