Definition

Noun: 1. The cardinal number equal to 10^18: This is the number represented by a 1 followed by 18 zeros (1,000,000,000,000,000,000). It is an extremely large quantity. 2. A specific term in the long scale numbering system: In this sense, particularly in historical British English, "one million million million" is the defined name for this number, equivalent to the modern term "quintillion" in the short scale system.

Usage

• The term is used to denote an almost incomprehensibly large numerical quantity, often in contexts like astronomy, cosmology, or theoretical mathematics.
• It is important to note the difference between numbering scales. In modern international and scientific English (using the short scale), this number is called a "quintillion." The phrase "one million million million" explicitly follows the long scale logic.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The estimated number of stars in the observable universe is on the order of one million million million.
  • In the long scale system, a trillion is a million million, and a quintillion is a one million million million.

Advanced Usage

• Scale Clarification: Using this phrase often requires specifying the naming scale to avoid confusion, as "trillion" and "quintillion" have different values in different systems.
• Scientific Notation: In formal scientific and technical writing, this number is almost exclusively expressed as 10^18 to ensure absolute clarity and avoid linguistic ambiguity.

Variants and Related Words

• Quintillion (n): The modern, short scale term for 10^18 (1,000,000,000,000,000,000). This is the standard term in contemporary international finance, science, and technology.
• Trillion (Long Scale) (n): In the traditional long scale (used in parts of Europe), a "trillion" means a million million (10^12), which is a "trillion" in the short scale. This is a key source of confusion.
• 10^18 (n): The unambiguous mathematical representation.

Synonyms

• Quintillion (in the short scale system).

Notes on Numbering Systems

• Short Scale: System where each new term greater than a million is 1,000 times the previous term (e.g., billion = 10^9, trillion = 10^12, quadrillion = 10^15, quintillion = 10^18). This is standard in modern English.
• Long Scale: System where each new term greater than a million is 1,000,000 times the previous term (e.g., billion = 10^12, trillion = 10^18). The phrase "one million million million" is a direct description of 10^18 in this system.

Noun

1. the number that is represented as a one followed by 18 zeros
   • in England they call a quintillion a trillion