milligram: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Formal, Technical
Quick answer
What does “milligram” mean?
A unit of mass equal to one thousandth of a gram.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A unit of mass equal to one thousandth of a gram.
A very small, precise measurement of weight, primarily used in scientific, medical, and pharmaceutical contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: British English uses 'milligramme' as a dated variant, but 'milligram' is now standard. Pronunciation: The 'l' is often fully syllabic in British English /ˈmɪl.ɪ.ɡræm/, while American English may have a lighter 'l' sound.
Connotations
Identical; purely technical.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties due to global scientific standardisation.
Grammar
How to Use “milligram” in a Sentence
NUM + milligram(s) + of + NOUNcontain/weigh/measure + NUM + milligram(s)dose/concentration + of + NUM + milligram(s)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “milligram” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The milligram weight was critical for the experiment.
American English
- We need milligram accuracy for this compound.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in pharmaceutical, supplement, and chemical industry specifications and labelling (e.g., 'Each tablet contains 200 milligrams of ibuprofen.').
Academic
Common in chemistry, biology, pharmacology, and medical research papers for reporting precise masses of substances.
Everyday
Used when discussing medication dosages, nutritional information on food labels (e.g., sodium content), or in very small-scale contexts like jewellery.
Technical
The standard SI sub-multiple for mass in scientific measurement and engineering tolerances.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “milligram”
- Misspelling as 'miligram' (single 'l').
- Using plural 'milligrams' incorrectly with a singular number (e.g., 'one milligrams').
- Confusing 'milligram' (mass) with 'millilitre' (volume).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In speech, the unit is almost always pronounced in full as 'milligram(s)'. The abbreviation 'mg' is for writing.
No. Milligram is a unit of mass (weight). For liquids, you would use millilitres (volume). However, you can talk about the mass of a substance dissolved in a liquid (e.g., '5 mg of caffeine per 100ml').
A gram is 1000 times larger than a milligram. There are 1000 milligrams in one gram.
Add an 's': milligrams. The abbreviation 'mg' does not take a plural 's' (e.g., 500 mg, not 500 mgs).
A unit of mass equal to one thousandth of a gram.
Milligram is usually formal, technical in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'MILLIgram' as a 'MILLIonth' of a kilogram? Not quite—it's actually a thousandth of a gram. Better: A grain of salt weighs about one MILLIgram.
Conceptual Metaphor
PRECISION IS SMALLNESS (The smaller the unit, the more precise the measurement is perceived to be).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a correct use of 'milligram'?