In French, the term "milliard" is used to signify 1,000,000,000 (10^9), while in English-speaking countries, the term "billion" is used for this value. The difference between these two terms can lead to confusion, especially when a subject contains numerical elements and an imprecise journalist uses the wrong term. It is important to note that the term "billion" in French actually means 1,000,000,000,000 (10^12), which is a thousand times more than its meaning in English-speaking countries. This difference comes from the adoption of the long scale system which uses powers of a thousand to name numbers. To avoid any confusion, it would be preferable to agree on a common usage of the terms. It is important to consider that the term "billion" is already used in other contexts in French, particularly in the financial domain where it means 1,000,000 (10^6). Therefore, it would be more practical to use the term "milliard" to represent 1,000,000,000. In conclusion, it is necessary to establish a consensus on the usage of the terms "milliard" and "billion" in order to avoid any confusion when using numbers in the media and discussions.
In French, the term "milliard" is used to signify 1,000,000,000 (10^9), while in English-speaking countries, the term "billion" is used for this value. The difference between these two terms can lead to confusion, especially when a subject contains numerical elements and an imprecise journalist uses the wrong term. It is important to note that the term "billion" in French actually means 1,000,000,000,000 (10^12), which is a thousand times more than its meaning in English-speaking countries. This difference comes from the adoption of the long scale system which uses powers of a thousand to name numbers. To avoid any confusion, it would be preferable to agree on a common usage of the terms. It is important to consider that the term "billion" is already used in other contexts in French, particularly in the financial domain where it means 1,000,000 (10^6). Therefore, it would be more practical to use the term "milliard" to represent 1,000,000,000. In conclusion, it is necessary to establish a consensus on the usage of the terms "milliard" and "billion" in order to avoid any confusion when using numbers in the media and discussions.