1
: any of various units of distance: such as
a
: a unit equal to 5280 feet see Weights and Measures Table
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Natanz and Isfahan were hit with tomahawk missiles from U.S. submarines stationed 400 miles away, Hannity said citing a direct conversation with Trump. Carlo Versano adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025 One of France’s oldest greenways, the lakeside route runs nearly 20 miles along the western shore between Annecy and Val de Chaise. Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2025 And in 1956 the Federal-Aid Highway Act funded 41,000 miles of interstate—an asphalt backbone justified as civil defense infrastructure but experienced as a coast-to-coast permission slip for self-reinvention. Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 22 June 2025 The geography of the small city is spread out across over 110 small islands, with the historical center taking up approximately two square miles. Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mile

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of mile was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mile. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

mile

noun
1
: a unit of measure equal to 5280 feet (about 1609 meters)

called also statute mile

see measure
2

More from Merriam-Webster on mile

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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