millennium

noun

mil·​len·​ni·​um mə-ˈle-nē-əm How to pronounce millennium (audio)
plural millennia mə-ˈle-nē-ə How to pronounce millennium (audio) or millenniums
1
a
: the thousand years mentioned in Revelation (see revelation sense 3) 20 during which holiness is to prevail and Christ is to reign on earth
b
: a period of great happiness or human perfection
2
a
: a period of 1000 years
especially : one reckoned from the beginning of the Christian era
at the start of the third millennium
b
: a 1000th anniversary or its celebration
In 2015 the city of Leipzig, Germany, celebrated its millennium.

Did you know?

Since in Latin mille means "thousand", a millennium lasts 1,000 years. Thus, we're living today at the beginning of the third millennium since the birth of Christ. But some religious sects, relying on a prophecy in the biblical Book of Revelation, speak of a coming millennium when Jesus will return to reign on earth for 1,000 years, evil will be banished, and all will live in peace and happiness. Members of these sects who keep themselves in a constant state of preparedness are called millenarians or millennialists.

Examples of millennium in a Sentence

The book describes the changes that have occurred in the landscape over many millennia. The year 2000 was celebrated as the beginning of the third millennium.
Recent Examples on the Web Boosted by the pandemic and dominated by Amazon, e-commerce sales have risen from less than 1% at the start of the new millennium to 16% of total U.S. retail sales this year, according to Census Bureau data compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 15 Oct. 2024 The comedian anchored the segment for his two-year stint — from 1998 to 2000 — on the show. 10 of 16 Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon: 2000 to 2004 The new millennium saw a lot of changes at Saturday Night Live. Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 11 Oct. 2024 By Judy Berman September 24, 2024 11:51 AM EDT Penelope is an ancient name, dating back almost three millennia to the Odyssey. Judy Berman, TIME, 24 Sep. 2024 Push it too hard on launch and the satellite, released from the earth’s gravitational restraint, would plunge into outer space for a millennium or so. Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for millennium 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'millennium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin mille thousand + New Latin -ennium (as in biennium)

First Known Use

circa 1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of millennium was circa 1638

Dictionary Entries Near millennium

Cite this Entry

“Millennium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/millennium. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

millennium

noun
mil·​len·​ni·​um mə-ˈlen-ē-əm How to pronounce millennium (audio)
plural millennia
-ē-ə
or millenniums
1
a
: a period of 1000 years
b
: a 1000th anniversary or its celebration
2
: a period of great happiness
millennial
-ē-əl
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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