bilione

Bilione is a term used in Italian to denote a very large quantity, equal to 1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion in the short scale). It belongs to the long-scale naming tradition in which successive terms denote increasingly large groups of thousands: miliardo (10^9), bilione (10^12), trilione (10^18). In modern Italian, bilione is standard for 10^12, while miliardo is used for 10^9 and trilione for 10^18. The term is also found in other languages that use long-scale naming systems, though exact mappings can vary.

In international contexts, bilione may cause confusion with the English terms billion and trillion, depending on whether the short or long scale is assumed. To avoid ambiguity, scientific and financial writing often uses scientific notation (10^12) or explicitly states "one trillion" when addressing audiences accustomed to the short scale. Some historical or legal texts may retain long-scale conventions.

Etymology: Bilione is part of the Italian long-scale naming convention and is related to other large-number terms such as miliardo and trilione. The naming pattern reflects historical usage in which terms increment by large factors rather than by simple additions.

Usage today: Bilione is common in Italian-language discourse on economics, population statistics, and national debt figures when referring to quantities in the trillions. While it remains standard in Italian, cross-language communication often requires care to avoid misinterpretation.

See also: miliardo, trilione, long scale, short scale, big-number terminology.