trillion
trillion — number
1. the exact number represented by a one followed by twelve zeros — equal to a thou
the exact number represented by a one followed by twelve zeros — equal to a thousand billion or a million million — used to state precise figures in finance, science, and government.
The government announced a plan to spend two trillion dollars on new roads and schools.
two trillion + plural noun for a precise financial figure
Our galaxy contains roughly one trillion stars, but we can only see a small fraction.
one trillion + plural countable noun (stars)
Hoa calculated that the distance to the next galaxy is about two trillion kilometers.
The company's annual sales passed one trillion yen for the first time last year.
- million million
descriptive phrase expressing the same value in simpler terms
- one followed by twelve zeros
descriptive mathematical phrase for clarity
文法句型
[number] + trillion + [plural noun]
a/one trillion + [plural noun]
用法筆記
In modern English (both US and UK), a trillion is 1,000,000,000,000. The older British trillion (10^18) is now considered obsolete. When the exact number matters, use the numeral form or scientific notation.
常見錯誤
2. an extremely large but not exact quantity — used to exaggerate or emphasise that
an extremely large but not exact quantity — used to exaggerate or emphasise that something is very great in number, frequency, or degree.
I have a trillion things to do before the wedding next weekend.
hyperbolic use: a trillion + plural noun for exaggeration
Hamza told me a trillion times to bring an umbrella, but I forgot it anyway.
a trillion times — common hyperbolic phrase for 'very many times'
There are a trillion reasons why this plan will not work, starting with the budget.
Nila has a trillion photos of her cat on her phone from just this month.
- tiny
opposite of a large amount in hyperbolic contexts
文法句型
a trillion + [plural noun]
trillion + [plural noun]
用法筆記
Only used informally for exaggeration. In formal writing, avoid using 'trillion' to mean 'a very large amount' unless the actual number is around one trillion. For formal hyperbole, prefer 'a vast number of' or 'countless'.
常見錯誤
trillion — noun
1. the number that equals one thousand times one billion — written as 1 followed by
the number that equals one thousand times one billion — written as 1 followed by 12 zeros — treated as a countable noun that can take an article or a numeral before it.
A trillion is written as a one followed by twelve zeros — one million million.
countable noun with article 'a': defining pattern
The country's national debt reached several trillion this year, worrying financial experts.
several + trillion (noun form, no 'of' needed)
Min learned that a trillion equals ten to the twelfth in scientific notation.
The total was estimated at three trillion, though no one could verify the figure.
- one million million
descriptive paraphrase, useful for explaining the value to non-experts
文法句型
a/one trillion
[number] trillion
several trillion
用法筆記
Used as a countable noun: 'a trillion', 'one trillion', 'several trillion'. The plural 'trillions' is rare in this precise sense — when you need the plural of the exact number, use 'trillions of' only for the hyperbolic sense. For the precise value, treat it like other numbers: 'two trillion', 'three trillion'.
常見錯誤
2. an extremely large but unspecified count — used in the plural form 'trillions' t
an extremely large but unspecified count — used in the plural form 'trillions' to suggest a number too great to measure or count precisely.
Trillions of stars shine in the universe, each one a distant sun.
trillions of + plural noun for unspecified vast quantity
Sayaka has written trillions of words in her diary over the past thirty years.
The bacteria in the human gut number in the trillions.
Tomás guessed trillions of sand grains covered the beach, but counted only a handful.
- countless
less numerical, suitable in formal and informal contexts
- numberless
more literary and formal
- untold
emphasises that the number is so large it cannot be measured
- a handful
opposite of a vast, unmeasurable quantity
文法句型
trillions of + [plural noun]
in the trillions
用法筆記
Commonly appears in the plural 'trillions' followed by 'of' (trillions of stars, trillions of cells). The fixed expression 'number in the trillions' is used in science and business to describe a scale. Avoid using this sense in formal academic writing unless the number is genuinely expected to be near one trillion.