Quintillion
/kwɪnˈtɪl.jən/noun
A cardinal number equal to 10^18 (1,000,000,000,000,000,000).
Did you know?The prefix 'quint-' originates from the Latin 'quintus', meaning 'fifth', linking this enormous number to ancient counting systems based on five-fold divisions.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
quintus
“fifth”
14th Century
Latin
quintillionem
“a numerical term indicating five times a power of ten”
17th Century
French
quintillion
“adoption of the Latin term into French numerical lexicon”
Late 17th Century
English
quintillion
“formal introduction into English as a term for a vast number, specifically 10^18”
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