Mega
/ˈmɛɡə/noun
A prefix meaning 'large,' 'great,' or 'million' in scientific and informal use.
Did you know?In Ancient Greek, μέγας (mégas) was a core word for size and greatness, and its prefix form spread into science, math, and modern slang as a shorthand for overwhelming scale.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*megʰ-
“great, large”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέγας (mégas)
“great, large”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μεγα- (mega-)
“great-, large- (prefix)”
Late Latin / Medieval Latin
Latin
mega-
“combining form used in learned compounds”
Modern English
English
mega
“a prefix meaning very large; by extension, extremely good or intense in informal use”