ENGLISH
REFERENCE

millennium

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //məˈɫɛniəm// UK //mɪlˈɛniəm// mil·len·ni·um Archaic

n. a period of one thousand years. It is often used to talk about a specific date in history or a very long time.

n. a period of one thousand years, especially one calculated from the beginning of the Christian era. Often used to refer to the anniversary of such a period.


SIMPLE

The ancient ruins have stood for over a millennium.

CONTEXTUAL

The world celebrated the start of a new millennium on January 1, 2000, with massive fireworks displays.

COMPLEX

Geologists measure the movement of tectonic plates over many millennia, as the slow shifts that shape our continents are imperceptible within a single human lifetime.

Synonyms
Origin

From Late Latin mīllennium, from Latin mīllennis (“1000-year”) + -ium (forming abstract nouns).

Usage

The plural form is 'millennia', though 'millenniums' is also accepted in modern usage.

Pitfall

milleniummillenniumLearners often forget the second 'n'; the word is spelled with a double 'l' and a double 'n'.

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