Not sure what number comes after trillion? Interested in the names of other very large numbers? What is a Googol exactly? Read on to learn what comes after trillion, the name of every important number that's larger than trillion, and some ways to help you conceptualize extremely large values. What's after trillion? Trillion is a 1 with 12 zeros after it, and it looks like this: 1,000,000,000,000. The next named number after trillion is quadrillion, which is a 1 with 15 zeros after it: 1,000,000,000,000,000. There are, of course, many numbers between trillion and quadrillion, but it isn't until quadrillion that that number value actually gets a new name. Numbers between the two would always include the word "trillion": two trillion, a hundred trillion, etc. As you can see from the chart in the next section, there is a new name every time the power of a large number increases by 3. While trillion is an incredibly large number, there are actually many numbers that are larger than it. Below is a chart of all the significant numbers that come after trillion. The numbers are written with scientific notation to make them easier to read and understand. As you can see, for most of the chart, the power of 10 increases by three for each new number, which means you add three extra zeros to the end of the number to get the next number. For example, a billion is a 1 with nine zeros after it or: 1,000,000,000. Trillion, the next number, is a 1 with twelve zeros after it, or: 1,000,000,000,000. This pattern continues until you get to Ten-duotrigintillion, more commonly known as a Googol (yes, this is where search engine Google got their name from). There are no names for the numbers between Googol, Skewer's Number, Centillion, or Googolplex. You may have noticed that "zillion" is not on here. Zillion is not actually a real number; it's simply a term used to refer to an undetermined but extremely large quantity.
What Comes After Trillion?
Names of Large Numbers
Name Number Million 1 x 10 6 Billion 1 x 10 9 Trillion 1 x 10 12 Quadrillion 1 x 10 15 Quintillion 1 x 10 18 Sextillion 1 x 10 21 Septillion 1 x 10 24 Octillion 1 x 10 27 Nonillion 1 x 10 30 Decillion 1 x 10 33 Undecillion 1 x 10 36 Duodecillion 1 x 10 39 Tredecillion 1 x 10 42 Quattuordecillion 1 x 10 45 Quindecillion 1 x 10 48 Sexdecillion 1 x 10 51 Septendecillion 1 x 10 54 Octodecillion 1 x 10 57 Novemdecillion 1 x 10 60 Vigintillion 1 x 10 63 Unvigintillion 1 x 10 66 Duovigintillion 1 x 10 69 Trevigintillion 1 x 10 72 Quattuorvigintillion 1 x 10 75 Quinvigintillion 1 x 10 78 Sexvigintillion 1 x 10 81 Septenvigintillion 1 x 10 84 Octovigintillion 1 x 10 87 Nonvigintillion 1 x 10 90 Trigintillion 1 x 10 93 Untrigintillion 1 x 10 96 Duotrigintillion 1 x 10 99 Ten-duotrigintillion (or Googol) 1 x 10 100 Skewer's Number 1 x 10 130 Centillion 1 x 10 303 Googolplex 1 x 10 10 100 Skewes' Number 
Understanding Large Numbers
You can see all the key massive numbers by looking at the chart above, but what do those numbers actually mean, and how can you understand them? It can be difficult, or even impossible, to conceptualize extremely large numbers, but there are some tricks to getting a general idea of just how large they are. Trillion is one of the smallest numbers in the chart, but it's still an incredibly large number. If you were to try to count to trillion, it'd take you roughly 31,709 years to do so!
A googol, or a 1 with one hundred zeros after it, looks like this when written out: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Writing a large number out like that can sometimes give a better sense of how big it actually is compared to using scientific notation.
And what about a googolplex, one of the massive numbers in the chart? A googolplex is 1 followed by a googol of zeros. A googolplex is such a large number that there really is no known use for it yet in math, and some mathematicians and astronomers hypothesize that a googolplex is even greater than the number of atoms in the universe.
But, there are numbers even larger than a googolplex. Skewes' number, developed by mathematician Stanley Skewes is 10 to the 10th to the 10th to the 34th. Skewes was particularly interested in prime numbers, and, when his number was introduced in 1933, it was described by a colleague as "largest number which has ever served any definite purpose in mathematics."
However, Skewes' number has since lost that distinction to Graham's number, which is currently designated as the world's largest number. Graham's number, which cannot be written with conventional notation, was developed by mathematician R.L. Graham. It is so large that, even if all the matter in the universe was converted to pens and ink, it still wouldn't be enough to write out the number in its entirety.
Summary: What Comes After Trillion?
What's after trillion? The next number after trillion is quadrillion, or a 1 with 15 zeros after it: 1,000,000,000,000,000. Knowing the names of large numbers can be useful if you're working with extremely large values or doing higher-level mathematics.
Currently, the largest known number is Graham's number, which is too large and complicated to either be written down or conceptualized.
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Christine Sarikas
About the Author
Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.
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As a seasoned enthusiast in the field of mathematics and numerical concepts, I bring forth a wealth of knowledge to unravel the mysteries of numbers beyond the trillion. My expertise spans not only the traditional counting of large numbers but also delves into esoteric mathematical constructs, including the realm of mind-bogglingly enormous numbers that challenge the boundaries of human comprehension.
Let's delve into the fascinating world of numbers beyond trillion. Trillion, a colossal figure represented by a '1' followed by 12 zeros (1,000,000,000,000), serves as our starting point. The immediate successor to trillion is quadrillion, denoted by '1' followed by 15 zeros (1,000,000,000,000,000). What sets quadrillion apart is that it's the first number to receive a distinct name after trillion. It's worth noting that the numbers in between trillion and quadrillion are described using the word "trillion," such as two trillion or a hundred trillion.
To navigate the vast landscape of large numbers, a pattern emerges: every time the power of a large number increases by 3, a new name is assigned. This pattern continues, giving rise to a plethora of names for numbers that escalate rapidly in magnitude. Here's a concise chart illustrating some of these numbers and their scientific notations:
- Million: 1 x 10^6
- Billion: 1 x 10^9
- Trillion: 1 x 10^12
- Quadrillion: 1 x 10^15
- Quintillion: 1 x 10^18
- Sextillion: 1 x 10^21
- ... (and so on)
This sequence persists until we reach Ten-duotrigintillion, also known as a Googol, represented by '1' followed by 100 zeros (1 x 10^100). Interestingly, the term "Googol" is familiar to many due to its association with the search engine giant, Google.
Moving beyond the comprehensible realm of Googol, we encounter even more colossal numbers such as Skewer's Number, Centillion, Googolplex, and Skewes' Number. Skewes' Number, developed by mathematician Stanley Skewes, stands as a remarkable construct at 10 to the 10th to the 10th to the 34th power.
However, the pinnacle of numerical enormity is currently occupied by Graham's Number, an entity so vast that conventional notation falls short. Mathematician R.L. Graham devised this number, and its magnitude is such that even if all the matter in the universe were transformed into pens and ink, it still wouldn't suffice to transcribe Graham's Number in its entirety.
In summary, the journey beyond trillion takes us through a mesmerizing array of numbers, each with its distinct name and mind-bending magnitude. From quadrillion to Googol, Skewes' Number to Graham's Number, these numerical constructs challenge our understanding of size and scale, pushing the boundaries of what we thought was conceivable in the realm of mathematics.
