- 1 000 000 000 000; one million million You say a, one, two, several, etc. trillion without a final ‘s’ on ‘trillion’. Trillions (of…) can be used if there is no number or quantity before it. Always use a plural verb with trillion or trillions.
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- a trillion, trillions (of…)(informal) a very large amount There are more examples of how to use numbers at the entry for hundred.
- (old-fashioned, British English) one million million million; 1 000 000 000 000 000 000
Word Originlate 17th cent.: from French, from million, by substitution of the prefix tri- ‘three’ for the initial letters.
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trillion