Definition
A metric system prefix meaning one million (1,000,000), or 10⁶. When attached to a unit of measurement, it multiplies that unit by one million. The standard symbol is M.
Plain English
Mega means a million of something. Put it in front of a unit and you've multiplied that unit by a million.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation electronics, radio frequencies, avionics manuals, and electrical measurements.
Derivation
From the Greek megas, meaning 'great' or 'large.' The metric system adopted it as the standard prefix for one million, so 'mega-anything' literally means 'a great quantity' of that unit.
Why Pilots Care
Aviation radio frequencies are expressed in megahertz (MHz). Knowing that 'mega' means one million tells you that 121.5 MHz is 121,500,000 cycles per second — useful when reading equipment specs or troubleshooting avionics.
Intuition Check
Mega does not just mean “very big” here. In technical units, mega means exactly one million times the unit.
Example Sentence 1
The VHF communication radio operates in the range of 118.0 to 136.975 megahertz.
Example Sentence 2
The transmitter output is measured in megawatts during high-power testing.