How do you abbreviate trillion? The word trillion has a few common abbreviations.
The most common abbreviations for trillion are,
- T
- tn
When to Use This Abbreviation
In addition to mathematics and documentation of money records, abbreviations for trillion can be found in headlines, mainly for the purpose of conserving space; you will find that in the actual article, the word is fully spelled out.
It is worth noting, however, that The AP Stylebook recommends not abbreviating trillion in headlines. See here.
What Does Trillion Mean?
Definition of trillion: The cardinal number trillion functions as an adjective or a noun and refers to the number that is composed of a thousand billion, also a million million.
It is also commonly used as hyperbole for a huge amount of something.
For example,
- The human body is made up of trillions of cells. (Literal)
- Even if I tell my students a trillion times that phones aren’t allowed in class, they get them out every day. (Hyperbole)
Outside Examples of Trillion
- House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a $3.8 trillion budget plan for next year that effectively breaks tight budget limits on military spending while promising a familiar roster of big cuts to social programs such as food stamps and Medicaid.– Chicago Sun Times
- James S. Henry, a professor at Columbia University in New York, found that by the end of 2014, $12.1 trillion was sitting in offshore accounts, compared to just under $9 trillion in 2010.- Newsweek
Summary
There are few different ways to abbreviate the word trillion. The most common of which are,
- T
- tn
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