millennium

noun

mil·​len·​ni·​um mə-ˈle-nē-əm 

plural millennia mə-ˈle-nē-ə  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

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

Phrases Containing millennium

• the millennium

Kids Definition

millennium

noun

mil·​len·​ni·​um mə-ˈlen-ē-əm 

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