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A billionaire is a person who has a billion or more in money — usually dollars or pounds. A billion here is a thousand million: 1,000,000,000.
A billionaire is a person who has a billion or more in money billionaire 是擁有十億以上財富的人 — usually dollars or pounds通常是美元或英鎊. A billion here這裡的 billion is a thousand million是一千個百萬: 1,000,000,000 就是 1,000,000,000
People use the word for the very richest: owners of huge companies, names on 'richest in the world' lists, people who could buy almost anything and still have money left. It is not a job. It is a label for a scale of wealth most of us never meet.
People use the word for the very richest人們用這個字來稱最有錢的那群人: owners of huge companies大公司的老闆, names on 'richest in the world' lists出現在「世界首富」名單上的人, people who could buy almost anything and still have money left那種幾乎什麼都買得起、錢還花不完的人. It is not a job這不是一份職業. It is a label for a scale of wealth這是給一種財富規模貼的標籤 most of us never meet大多數人一輩子都碰不到
Newspapers also stretch it. Someone whose money is mostly shares on paper still gets called a billionaire, and 'the billionaire class' means the super-rich as a group. In casual talk, 'I want to be a billionaire' is the new version of an older joke about being a millionaire.
Newspapers also stretch it報紙也會把這個字用得更寬鬆. Someone whose money is mostly shares on paper有人的錢大部分是紙上的股份 still gets called a billionaire還是會被稱作 billionaire, and 'the billionaire class'而「the billionaire class」 means the super-rich as a group指的是超級富豪這整群人. In casual talk在日常閒聊裡, 'I want to be a billionaire'「I want to be a billionaire」 is the new version of an older joke about being a millionaire是以前「想當百萬富翁」那個老玩笑的新版本
Though actually, the number has a messy past. For a long time British English used billion to mean a million million — what most people now call a trillion. American English used billion for a thousand million, and that meaning has almost completely won, in news, in business, and in this word. When someone says billionaire today, they mean the thousand-million kind. Older British books can still trip you.
Though actually不過, the number has a messy past這個數字有段混亂的過去. For a long time很長一段時間, British English used billion to mean a million million英式英文的 billion 是指一百萬個百萬 — what most people now call a trillion也就是現在大多數人講的 trillion. American English used billion for a thousand million美式英文的 billion 是指一千個百萬, and that meaning has almost completely won而這個意思現在幾乎已經完全獲勝, in news在新聞裡, in business在商業上, and in this word以及在這個字本身. When someone says billionaire today現在有人說 billionaire 的時候, they mean the thousand-million kind指的都是那種一千個百萬的講法. Older British books can still trip you比較舊的英國書還是可能讓你搞混
The word is common and not rude, but talking about someone's money this way can feel nosy.
The word is common and not rude這個字很常見，也不算失禮, but talking about someone's money this way不過用這種方式談論別人的財富 can feel nosy可能會顯得愛打聽
組成billion + French -aire, 'a person who has that', on the pattern of millionaire. Billion itself is French bi- ('two') + million. Million comes from Italian milione, a 'big thousand', from mil / mille (Latin mille, 'thousand') + the Italian ending -one.
同家族的字
- millionairethe older 'rich person' word this one was modelled on; same -aire ending
- billionthe number a billionaire is said to have at least one of
原始詞典資料1 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
billionairenoun/ˌbɪl.i.əˈnɛə(ɹ)/
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Somebody whose wealth is at least one billion (10⁹) currency units (usually understood to exclude holders of hyperinflated currencies).
- Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers.[…]Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster. Clever financial ploys are what have made billionaires of the industry’s veterans. “Operational improvement” in a portfolio company has often meant little more than promising colossal bonuses to sitting chief executives if they meet ambitious growth targets. That model is still prevalent today.
- The ranks of the billionaire class last year grew by just over 200 to nearly 2,770 people. Their wealth skyrocketed by $2.1 trillion — three times faster than the year before — to a total of $15 trillion. In the United States alone, where 816 billionaires reside, the net worth of this group soared by $1.4 trillion.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。