trillion

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "trillion" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the numerical value of one trillion, which is 1,000,000,000,000 or 10^12. Example: "The national debt has reached over twenty trillion dollars."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Amid assurances from government that the economic plan is working, it is worth considering two parts of the plan that are not: the target to double exports to £1 trillion by 2020; and Osborne's call for a revival of manufacturing, his "march of the makers".

The Guardian - Business

The better than expected GDP reading (analysts were on average anticipating a mere 0.1% rise) means ECB looks even less likely to announce any further measures to boost growth until it can assess the impact of the additional €1 trillion of liquidity it already plans to inject into the economy.

The Guardian - Business

Last year, I worked with Democrats and Republicans to cut a trillion dollars worth of spending that we just couldn't afford.

The Guardian

The miserably slow pace of recovery (and a second-round recession in Europe) mean that the costs of the crash continue to mount, trillion by trillion, every dollar and euro a symbol of human suffering and lost opportunity.

The Economist

The yearly statute books have grown in size from 1,020 pages in 1989 to 1,600 in 2002.In this section Miller's crossing Coming to America Systematic chaos Speed, rules and psychology Vlad the webmeister Banana Union How to blow a trillion euros ReprintsIn general, the more rules, the more they are broken.

The Economist

Corporate America is holding $1.73 trillion in cash, with the top five companies hoarding almost half a trillion between them, according to a report published by Moody's Investor Services.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

However there are many big businesses, including some energy companies, still calling for the trillion-ton carbon budget.

The Guardian

Bond issuance has boomed, with $1.2 trillion-worth of bonds sold in the first four months of the year, according to Standard & Poor's, a ratings agency.Still, a recent research paper by Moody's, a rival to S&P, argues that all this is not necessarily evidence of a bubble.

The Economist

By 1990 that figure had risen to $1 trillion.

The Economist

New data shows that in North America alone, women currently control approximately $18 trillion in wealth, and if they gave just 1.7% of that amount, it would add up to $230 billion in philanthropic dollars.

The Guardian

Thanks largely to oil and gas (Qatar's natural gas reserves of some 34 trillion cubic metres are the third largest in the world, and it still has 25bn barrels of oil), the tiny Gulf state of 2.2m people has become arguably the richest country in the world, topping the world rankings of GDP per capita.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about large numbers like "trillion", always provide context to help the reader understand the scale. For example, compare it to a country's GDP or the cost of a major project.

Common error

Avoid confusing "trillion" with "billion" or "million". A "trillion" is a million millions (1,000,000,000,000), so ensure accuracy when reporting such large figures.

Linguistic Context

The word "trillion" functions primarily as a numeral or adjective, quantifying amounts, especially in financial or economic contexts. Ludwig AI examples confirm this, showcasing its use with units like dollars, euros, or cubic meters.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "trillion" functions as a numeral, primarily used to denote extremely large quantities in financial, economic, and scientific contexts. According to Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct and usable in English, though often requiring context to fully appreciate its magnitude. Common usage appears in news and business reporting, indicating a neutral to professional register. Related phrases include "one million million" or "one thousand billion". While correct, ensure accuracy to avoid confusion with smaller numerical values.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

One million million

Expresses the same numerical value as a trillion using a different phrasing.

One thousand billion

Another way to describe the quantity of a trillion.

Extremely large number

A straightforward and literal way to convey the idea of a significant numerical value.

Enormous sum

Similar to "a very large sum" but perhaps implies a slightly higher degree of magnitude.

A very large sum

A more general way to describe a huge amount of money or resources, without specifying the exact number.

Vast quantity

Describes a large amount in a general sense, applicable to various countable items.

Significant financial magnitude

A formal way of referring to a very large amount of money.

Astronomical figure

Implies a number so large that it is comparable to the scale of the universe.

Incalculable amount

Suggests that the amount is so large that it is impossible or impractical to calculate.

Wealth of nations

An idiomatic expression referring to the total assets and resources of a country.

FAQs

How is "trillion" typically used in a sentence?

The word "trillion" is often used as a numeral to quantify large sums of money, debt, or economic values, such as "The national debt is over 30 trillion dollars."

What are some alternative ways to express a "trillion"?

Besides stating "trillion", you can express it as "one million million", or "one thousand billion" depending on the context for clarity.

Is it more appropriate to write "1 trillion" or "one trillion"?

Both "1 trillion" and "one trillion" are acceptable. "1 trillion" is more common in journalistic or financial contexts, while "one trillion" is more often used in general writing. The choice depends on the desired level of formality.

What's the difference between a "billion" and a "trillion"?

A "billion" is one thousand million (1,000,000,000), whereas a "trillion" is one million million (1,000,000,000,000). A "trillion" is one thousand times larger than a "billion".