million

noun

mil·​lion ˈmi(l)-yən How to pronounce million (audio)
plural millions or million
1
: a number equal to 1,000 times 1,000 see Table of Numbers
2
: a very large number
millions of cars on the road
3
: the mass of common people
used with the
million adjective
millionfold adverb or adjective
millionth adjective or noun

Examples of million in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The best progressive jackpots even have pots that end up exceeding millions of dollars. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Incumbent Democrat Mike Levin seeks fourth term against Republican Matt Gunderson in coastal congressional district In the past three elections, the Democratic and Republican parties have poured millions of dollars into races in the 49th Congressional District. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024 But after pulling millions of children out of poverty, the provision expired amid resistance to extending it from GOP lawmakers and conservative Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.). Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 The limited liability structure expanded ownership dramatically, to the point that public companies today have millions of shareholders. Chris Dixon, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2024 Each spring, the Jewish holiday known as Passover is celebrated by millions worldwide, a day that is steeped in antiquity and is marked by remembrance and tradition for Jewish individuals and communities. Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024 Bishop Tomlinson claimed millions of congregants — including all Pentecostals. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 So in the past three decades, hundreds of millions of farmers in hot arid regions, from Mexico to the Middle East and South Asia, have switched to getting their water from underground. Fred Pearce, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2024 Salesforce, as a company, has donated hundreds of millions too. Dara Kerr, NPR, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'million.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English milioun, from Middle French milion, from Old Italian milione, augmentative of mille thousand, from Latin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of million was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near million

Cite this Entry

“Million.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/million. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

million

noun
mil·​lion ˈmil-yən How to pronounce million (audio)
plural millions or million
1
: a number equal to 1,000 times 1,000 see number
2
: a very great number
millions of mosquitoes
million adjective
millionth adjective or noun

More from Merriam-Webster on million

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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