mile

noun

ˈmī(-ə)l 

1

: any of various units of distance: such as

a

: a unit equal to 5280 feet see Weights and Measures Table

b

: nautical mile

2

: a race of a mile

3

: a relatively great distance, degree, or interval

—usually plural

was miles ahead of them in education

—sometimes used adverbially

This one is miles [=much, far] better than that one.

Phrases

a mile a minute

: with great speed

talking a mile a minute

Synonyms

• afar
• country mile
• far cry
• long haul

Examples of mile in a Sentence

We passed mile after mile of beautiful scenery as we drove through the country.

We traveled over miles of dirt road.

The car was traveling at 70 miles per hour.

We were miles from home.

We still have miles to go.

The beach stretched on for miles and miles.

Recent Examples on the Web

The area is close to the South Yuba Campground, approximately six miles northwest of Nevada City. —Daniel Hunt, Sacramento Bee, 8 June 2024

Start your adventure at Lovers Key, a collection of barrier islands with two miles of sandy beach. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 7 June 2024

Lake Lanier was created when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Buford Dam, flooding 47 miles of river bed. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 7 June 2024

Symi is sparsely populated, about 10 miles long with 2,500 residents. —Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 7 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English mīl, from Latin milia miles, from milia passuum, literally, thousands of paces, from milia, plural of mille thousand

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mile

• air mile
• a mile a minute
• country mile
• go the extra mile
• last mile
• mile high club
• nautical mile
• pound mile
• sea mile
• stand/stick out a mile
• statute mile
• three-mile limit

Kids Definition

mile

noun

ˈmī(ə)l 

1

: a unit of measure equal to 5280 feet (about 1609 meters)

called also statute mile

see measure

2

: nautical mile