(1999) Im Deutschen, im Französischen und im "klassischen" Britischen Englisch sind eine Billion tausend Milliarden, also 1012. In den USA (und mittlerweile in fast allen englischsprachigen Ländern) ist die Billion etwas billiger und schon für 109 zu haben. Journalisten fallen gerne darauf herein und machen Bill Gates zum Billionär dabei ist er doch nur Milliardär.
Zahl: 1 B. = 1012 = 1000 Milliarden; in den USA u. in Frankreich jedoch: 1 B. = 109 = 1 Milliarde.
ETYM French billion, arbitrarily formed from Latin bis twice, in imitation of million a million. Related to Million.
A thousand millions. The cardinal number represented by a 1 followed by nine zeros (1,000,000,000 or 109), equivalent to a thousand million.
1. (In Britain) The number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros; SYN. one million million, 1000000000000.
2. (In the United States) The number that is represented as a one followed by 9 zeros; SYN. one thousand million, 1000000000.
ETYM French trillion, formed from the pref. tri- in imitation of million a million. Related to Billion.
An indeterminately large number.
1. (In Britain and Germany) The number that is represented as a one followed by 18 zeros; SYN. one million million million.
2. (In the United States and France) The number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros; SYN. one million million, 1000000000000.