millions

Millions is the plural form of the number million, which equals 1,000,000 (one followed by six zeros). In common numerical notation, it is written as 1,000,000. The term is used in both the short-scale system, which is widespread in English-speaking countries, and the long-scale system used in some other regions. In both scales, a million is 10^6, while the names of larger quantities differ (for example, in the short scale a billion is 10^9 and a trillion is 10^12; in the long scale a billion is 10^12 and a trillion is 10^18).

Etymology and history: The word million descends from Italian milione, formed from mille (thousand) with an augmentative suffix, originally meaning “a large thousand.” It entered English via French and Italian in the late Middle Ages and soon became a standard term for large numbers.

Usage and context: The term appears in statistics, economics, demography, and everyday language to express large quantities without specifying an exact figure. Phrases such as “millions of people” or “millions of dollars” convey mass estimates. In science and technology, the SI prefix mega- denotes 10^6, with the symbol M used in many contexts to indicate this factor, though the letter M can have other meanings in different disciplines.

Variations and related terms: While million represents 10^6 in both short and long scales, higher-number naming conventions diverge between scales (for example, billion and trillion differ in value across the systems). The concept of a million also appears in finance, accounting shorthand, and data reporting, where approximations or rounded figures are common.