millions of hours

USAGE SUMMARY

"millions of hours" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It means a very large number of hours, typically denoting a significant amount of time. You can use "millions of hours" in a sentence when talking about a large quantity of time, such as: - "The engineers spent millions of hours designing and testing the new product." - "She has devoted millions of hours to perfecting her craft." - "The project will require millions of hours of work to complete."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Tech

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"We're just bolting them in as things that have millions of hours of airline service".

The New York Times - Science

These have accumulated millions of hours of flying time and an enviable safety record.

The Economist

Congestion taxes would save millions of hours currently wasted in traffic jams.

The New York Times - Books

TWTs in space have demonstrated very reliable operation, amassing tens of millions of hours of operation without failure.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It is measured not in the millions of hours, but in the billions — 9.14 of them, to be exact.

The New York Times

"For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history.

The Guardian - Opinion

It also has vast reach, with more than 1bn users watching hundreds of millions of hours of content every day.

The Guardian - Tech

It would grant Canadians access to millions of hours' worth of programs produced for other countries' publics.

The Guardian - Tech

So when it happens, when it actually happens, you feel like, you know, you achieve something that you dream about for maybe millions of hours".

The New York Times - Sports

Storing video takes far more space, but the price is dropping so steadily that storing millions of hours of material will not be a problem soon.

The New York Times

All of these efforts have either failed or are close to failure — thousands of people working millions of hours and in all likelihood producing nothing.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To enhance clarity, consider specifying the range when accuracy is important: "several million hours" or "between 5 and 10 million hours".

Common error

Avoid using "millions of hours" when "thousands" or "billions" of hours would be more accurate. Always ensure the scale of time is appropriate for the context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "millions of hours" functions as a quantifier followed by a unit of time. It specifies a very large amount of time. This aligns with Ludwig AI's assessment of the phrase as correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

74%

Tech

15%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "millions of hours" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to denote a very large quantity of time. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. It is frequently used in contexts such as News & Media, Tech, and Science, as evidenced by the examples provided. When writing, ensure that the scale is accurate and appropriate. Alternatives like "vast duration" or "considerable time span" can be used for similar effect. The authoritative sources such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Forbes further support its validity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

vast duration

Emphasizes the extensive length of time.

considerable time span

Highlights the extended period involved.

extensive period

Focuses on the prolonged nature of the time.

significant amount of time

Underscores the importance of the duration.

substantial length of time

Highlights the largeness of the duration.

innumerable hours

Emphasizes the countless nature of the hours.

countless hours

Stresses the immeasurable quantity of hours.

immeasurable time

Highlights the impossibility of accurately measuring the time.

extended hours

Focuses on hours being longer than usual.

uncountable hours

Emphasizes the number is so high it cannot be counted.

FAQs

How can I use "millions of hours" in a sentence?

You can use "millions of hours" to describe the duration of a project, the operational time of machinery, or the cumulative viewing time of online content. For example: "The aircraft has logged "millions of hours" of flight time".

What are some alternatives to saying "millions of hours"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "vast duration", "considerable time span", or "extensive period" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it appropriate to use "millions of hours" in formal writing?

Yes, "millions of hours" is appropriate for formal writing, especially when quantifying large amounts of time in reports, articles, or presentations. However, ensure the quantification is accurate and relevant to the discussion.

What's the difference between saying "millions of hours" and "billions of hours"?

"Millions of hours" refers to a quantity in the millions, while "billions of hours" refers to a quantity in the billions. Using the correct term ensures accuracy. For example, a project taking 2,000,000 hours should be described as taking "millions of hours", not billions.