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

While other states have had visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog, Georgia has a visibility of one half mile or less, according to the weather service. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024

Little Rest Single Malt Whiskey 2nd Release, Tenmile Distillery ($100) Produced in Wassaic in New York's Hudson Valley, this whiskey utilizes local ingredients found within a 30-mile radius of the distillery’s location when growing conditions in the region allow. —Erik Ofgang, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Around noon on Saturday, Oct. 27, two hunters stalking deer stumbled upon skeletal remains a few miles from where the other two sets of bones had been found. —Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

Officers made the grisly discovery Tuesday afternoon inside a residence on Oxford Way in West Valley City, located about 9 miles outside of Salt Lake City. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Dec. 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
• 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