Googolplex means: The number 10^{10^{100}} or 10^\text{googol}, ten to the power of a googol.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
googolplex
The number 10^{10^{100}} or 10^\text{googol}, ten to the power of a googol.
ˈɡuːɡəlplɛksDocumented since 1940s1940sSilenthistoricalCurrent155 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1940 · 1 year of recorded use20th centurySee decade cohort →
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
The number 10^{10^{100}} or 10^\text{googol}, ten to the power of a googol.
The name "googol" was invented by a child (Dr. Kasner's nine-year-old nephew) who was asked to think up a name for a very big number, namely, 1 with a hundred zeros after it. He was very certain that this number was not infinite, and the…
Origin: From , who was then the young nephew of mathematician Edward Kasner. First published and defined in the book Mathematics and the Imagination (1940). Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Googolplex means: The number 10^{10^{100}} or 10^\text{googol}, ten to the power of a googol.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
googolplex means: The number 10^{10^{100}} or 10^\text{googol}, ten to the power of a googol.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
Heard in the wild
“Googolplex-dimensional chess happening here I'm sure”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
(US, real estate, nonstandard, rare) An infinitesimally small portion of land, defined for legal purposes.
If the universe were packed solid with neutrons, say, so there was no empty space anywhere, there would still only be about 10128 particles in it, quite a bit more than a googol but trivially small compared to a googolplex.
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#3·Apr 27, 2026
(figuratively) A countable number.
Consider that we can start with one googolplex and count: two googolplexes, three googolplexes and so on up to a googolplex googolplexes and beyond—and still not have reached infinity.
Cluster: general
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "googolplex" (G)
Google is your friendGooglemaniaGooglemaniacGooglenopeGoogleygoo-gobgook wagongoolailgoolie chitgooliesgoolygoomah
Browse all slang words starting with G.