million
Definitions
The number 1,000,000 (a thousand thousand).
一百万（1,000,000，即一千个一千）。
(informal, often plural) A very large but indefinite number; an enormous amount.
（非正式，常用复数）极大但不确定的数目；无数。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedmille (thousand) + the Italian augmentative -one ('big') = milione, a 'great thousand,' i.e. a thousand thousands. Italian merchants needed a word for sums too large for Roman numerals, so they took 'thousand' and supersized it.
Root mille still carries 3 more wordsWhy It Means This
Million keeps mille's figurative streak alive. 'Thanks a million,' 'one in a million,' 'I've told you a million times' — none of these is really counting to 1,000,000. Just like Latin mille could mean 'a vast number,' million often just means 'a huge, uncountable amount.'
Common Collocations
- 1.a million dollars一百万美元
- 2.millions of people数百万人
- 3.one in a million百里挑一
- 4.thanks a million万分感谢
- 5.make millions赚取数百万
Example Sentences
- 1.
The city has a population of over two million.
- 2.
The painting sold for three million dollars.
- 3.
Thanks a million for all your help!