sextillion

From Classical Latin sextus (“sixth”) +‎ -illion; originally the sixth power of a million, 10³⁶. Compare slightly earlier quintillion, Middle French sixlion (1484) and French sextillion (1765). First attested in 1689 in John Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (see the quotation).^[1]

• IPA^(key): /sɛksˈtɪljən/
• Rhymes: -ɪljən

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sextillion (plural sextillions)

1. (US, British, Australia, short scale) A trillion billion: 1 followed by 21 zeros, 10²¹.
2. (dated British and Australia, long scale) A million quintillion: 1 followed by 36 zeros, 10³⁶.
   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], “Of Number”, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book II, § 6, page 99:

     [W]e take now to name them by Millions of Millions of Millions, it is hard to go beyond eighteen, or at moſt four and twenty decimal Progreſſions, without confuſion. But to ſhew how much diſtinct Names conduce to our well reckoning, or having uſeful Ideas of Numbers, let us ſet all these following Figures in one continued Line, as the Marks of one Number: v. g. Nonilions. 857324. Octilions. 162486. Septilions. 345896. Sextilions. 437916. Quintilions. 423147. Quatrilions. 248106. Trilions. 235421. Bilions. 261734. Milions. 368149. Vnites. 623137.

• (10²¹): a long scale thousand trillion (trilliard)
• (10³⁶): a short scale undecillion

• (short and long scale) Previous: quintillion. Next: septillion.
• zetta-

From Classical Latin sextus (“sixth”) +‎ -illion.

• IPA^(key): /sɛk.sti.ljɔ̃/

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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sextillion m (plural sextillions)

1. undecillion (10³⁶)
2. (dated) sextillion (10²¹)

• “sextillion”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012