Million Meaning
/ˈmɪl.jən/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
numThe cardinal number 1 000 000: 10⁶; a thousand thousand.
numAn unspecified very large number.
Sentence Examples
One million people lost their lives in the war.
Half a million children still face malnutrition in Niger.
A population of half a million
CEFR Practice Quiz
The lottery jackpot reached an all-time high of one ____ dollars, creating new millionaires.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The new movie was a massive success, earning over one ____ dollars in ticket sales during its very first weekend in theaters.
Word Origin & History
Inherited from Middle English milioun, from Middle French milion, from Old French millon, from Italian milione (“million”, from mille (“thousand”, from Latin mille) + -one). Compare -illion.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Doctors in Nigeria have criticized a mass national identification registration policy, involving tens of millions of citizens, as Covid-19 cases and deaths rise in the country. […] So far, only 56 million NINs have been collected by mobile operators, according to a federal government press release."
— 2021 February 10, Eoin McSweeney, “As Covid-19 cases rise in Nigeria, a government policy is creating crowds and chaos”, in CNN:
"Let him bring millions infinite of men,
Unpeopling weſterne Affrica and Greece:
Yet we aſſure vs of the victorie."
— c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:
"Time stood still and we were lost on words to say / And though the people stared, they seemed a million miles away / Oh, we knew it was love we were feeling / We were destined to give it a whole new meaning"
— 1981, Chaka Khan, “Fate”, in What Cha' Gonna Do for Me:
"Up and round and through caves and out over precipices at a million miles an hour. The girls are behind me and I'm holding Matt, what a buzz."
— 1995, Paul Vautin, Turn It Up!, Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia, page 38:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The lottery jackpot reached an all-time high of one ____ dollars, creating new millionaires.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The new movie was a massive success, earning over one ____ dollars in ticket sales during its very first weekend in theaters.