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.

see also:

a mile a minute

Synonyms of mile

• infinity
• 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

Arity looked at what stores people visited within a 10-mile radius of SoFi that day and also found surges in visitors to nearby El Pollo Loco and Trader Joe’s. — Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026

The earthquake's epicenter was approximately 11 miles west-southwest of Johannesburg and occurred at a depth of 5 miles. — Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026

Positioned at an elevation of about 2,600 meters, the radar can reportedly detect ballistic missile launches at distances of up to 3,106 miles (5,000 kilometers). — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026

On Sunday morning, about two miles away, in the 500 block of Northwest 107th Avenue, a father found his 4-year-old daughter face down in a lake behind their house, police said. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026

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

Rhymes for mile

• aisle
• bile
• chyle
• file
• guile
• heil
• isle
• kyle
• pile
• rile
• smile
• stile

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