thousand

noun

thou·​sand ˈthau̇-zᵊn(d) How to pronounce thousand (audio)
plural thousands or thousand
1
: a number equal to 10 times 100 see Table of Numbers
2
: a very large number
thousands of ants
thousand adjective
thousandfold adjective or adverb
thousandth adjective or noun

Examples of thousand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, slammed the Conservative and Labour parties after it was revealed this week thousands of Afghan refugees were secretly resettled into the country without the public's knowledge. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2025 All of that information will need to be aggregated and calculated across tens of thousands of programs, and thousands of schools, over a yearslong period. Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 20 July 2025 Tens of thousands of Haitians living and working in the United States with temporary protections from deportation will now be allowed to remain until at least February 2026 with employment authorization, according to the Department of Homeland Security website. Jacqueline Charles, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2025 Wayfair has thousands of deals on cooling sheets and blankets, including this summer duvet cover from IEnjoy Home. Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 20 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for thousand

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English thūsend; akin to Old High German dūsunt thousand, Lithuanian tūkstantis, and probably to Sanskrit tavas strong, Latin tumēre to swell — more at thumb entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thousand was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Thousand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thousand. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

thousand

noun
thou·​sand ˈthau̇z-ᵊn(d) How to pronounce thousand (audio)
plural thousands or thousand
1
: a number equal to 10 times 100 see number
2
: a very large number
thousands of ants
thousand adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on thousand

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