Definition

1. Noun:
   • The number represented by a 1 followed by 12 zeros (1,000,000,000,000): This is the cardinal number one million million. It is a very large number used in contexts like finance, astronomy, and national debt.
   • A term with differing regional interpretations: In the long scale numbering system (historically used in the UK and some other European countries), "one million million" is called a billion. In the short scale system (used in the US, UK in modern usage, and most English-speaking countries), this number is called a trillion.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The national debt is measured in the trillions, which means many millions of millions of dollars.
  • In the old British system, a billion was one million million, but now it usually means one thousand million.

Advanced Usage

• Contextual Clarification: Due to the historical difference between the long scale and short scale, the phrase "one million million" is sometimes used for explicit clarity to avoid the ambiguity of the words "billion" or "trillion."
  • For precise scientific communication, they specified the mass as "one million million metric tons" to prevent any regional misunderstanding.

Variants and Related Words

• Trillion (n): In the modern short scale (US, contemporary UK), this is the word for 10^12 (1,000,000,000,000).
  • The company's valuation reached over a trillion dollars.
• Billion (n, long scale): In the traditional long scale system, this word meant 10^12 (1,000,000,000,000). In the modern short scale, it means 10^9 (1,000,000,000).
• Quadrillion (n): In the short scale, this is 10^15, which is one thousand million million.

Synonyms

• 10^12: A mathematical expression for the number.
• A long scale billion: The historical British term.

Notes on Meaning

• Primary Numerical Meaning: The core, unambiguous meaning is the specific, large cardinal number: 1,000,000,000,000.
• Linguistic/Regional Meaning: The phrase highlights the historical difference in naming large numbers between the "long scale" and "short scale" systems of numeration.

Noun

1. the number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros; in the United Kingdom the usage followed in the United States is frequently seen
2. the number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros
   • in England they call a trillion a billion