millennium

[mi-len-ee-uhm]

noun

plural

millenniums, millennia 

1. a period of 1,000 years.

   This great stone monument has seen it all—hardship, plenty, and everything in between—over a millennium and a half.

2. the year 2000, or the turn of the 21st century.

   In 1995, approaching the millennium, the city covered nearly 67,000 acres and had a population of over 1 million.

3. Christianity.,  the millennium, the period of 1,000 years during which Christ will reign on earth, as an interpretation of a vision set forth by the apostle John in the book of Revelation. Also the Millennium

4. a period of general righteousness and happiness, especially in the indefinite future.

5. a thousandth anniversary.

millennium

/ mɪˈlɛnɪəm /

noun

1. Christianity the period of a thousand years of Christ's awaited reign upon earth

2. a period or cycle of one thousand years

3. a time of peace and happiness, esp in the distant future

4. a thousandth anniversary

millennium

1. A period of a thousand years foretold in the Book of Revelation. During the millennium, those who have been faithful to Jesus and who have not worshiped the Antichrist will reign with Jesus over the Earth. According to the Book of Revelation, the millennium will precede the final battle for control of the universe; Judgment Day will come afterward.

Figuratively, a “millennium” is a period of great justice and happiness on Earth.

The meaning of the Bible's (see also Bible) words about the millennium has been much debated by Christians (see also Christian). Prophecies about the millennium are part of the basic doctrine of several denominations, including Jehovah's Witnesses.

Other Word Forms

• millennialist noun
• millennial adjective
• millennially adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of millennium¹

First recorded in 1630–40; from New Latin, equivalent to Latin mill(e) “a thousand” + -ennium, extracted from biennium, triennium, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of millennium¹

C17: from New Latin, from Latin mille thousand + annus year; for form, compare _quadrennium

Example Sentences

There are two primary causes of the desiccation: rising temperatures unleashed by using oil and gas, and widespread overpumping of water that took millennia to accumulate underground.

From Los Angeles Times

“The evidence shows that human influence is warming the atmosphere, ocean, and land in a way that is unprecedented for many centuries to millennia,” they wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

Plant-based milks, despite existing for millennia, rose to global popularity amid the 21st century due to growing concerns of lactose intolerance and the environmental impacts of dairy.

From Salon

The next step is to develop a model simulating earthquakes over many millennia for the San Andreas fault, which the authors plan to do in the future.

From Los Angeles Times

If that was true at the turn of the millennium, it’s even more so now.

From Los Angeles Times