ENGLISH
REFERENCE

trillions

n. plural-only
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈtɹɪɫjənz// UK //tɹˈɪliənz// tril·lions

n. an extremely large number, specifically a million million in most modern English-speaking countries. You use it to talk about huge amounts of money or stars in space.

n. the cardinal number equal to one million million (10 to the power of 12) in the short scale system. Often used figuratively to describe an unimaginably large quantity of something.


SIMPLE

The government spent trillions on the new infrastructure project.

CONTEXTUAL

Astronomers estimate that there are trillions of stars in the observable universe, spread across billions of different galaxies.

COMPLEX

While the national debt is measured in trillions, economists argue that the ratio of debt to productivity is a more significant indicator of a country's long-term financial health.

Synonyms
Usage

Takes a plural verb; when used as a specific number, it is usually singular ('two trillion'), but as an indefinite large amount, it takes the plural 's' and 'of'.

Pitfall

five trillions dollarsfive trillion dollarsWhen preceded by a specific number, the word remains singular; the plural form is only used for indefinite quantities followed by 'of'.

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