Milliwatt is a unit of power equivalent to one thousandth of a watt. Synonyms for milliwatt include microwatt, nanowatt, and picowatt, which represent even smaller amounts of power. The prefix "micro" refers to one millionth, "nano" refers to one billionth, and "pico" refers to one trillionth. These units are commonly used in scientific and engineering applications, particularly in the measurement of electronic and optical devices. Other units of power that are bigger than milliwatt include kilowatt, megawatt, and gigawatt, which are used to describe the output of power plants and generators. Whether measuring small or large amounts of power, it is important to understand the magnitude and scale of the units being used.