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Milli- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “thousand.” In names of units of measure, particularly in the metric system, milli- means “one thousandth.” It is often used in scientific and technical terms.

Milli– comes from the Latin mille, meaning “thousand.” The Greek translation of mille is ����ī́�����Ǿ�, “a thousand,” which is the source of English terms such as kilogram and kilometer. To learn more, check out our entries for both words.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features milli– is millisecond, “one thousandth of a second.”

The milli– part of millisecond literally means “thousand.” But, because –second is a unit of measure (of time), here milli– means “one thousandth.” Millimeter literally means “one thousandth of a second.”

What are some words that use the combining form milli-?

• milliampere
• millibar
• millicurie
• millimeter (using the equivalent form of milli- in French)
• millipede (using the equivalent form of milli- in Latin)

What are some other forms that milli– may be commonly confused with?

• melano-
• melo-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters milli-, such as milliner, is necessarily using the combining form milli– to denote “thousand.” Learn why milliner means “hat-maker” at our entry for the word.

The combining form –pede means “having a foot.” With this in mind, what does millipede literally mean?