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 miles from nowhere

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

The Iran war exposed just how much the world relied on a narrow 20-mile-wide waterway. — Katie Silver, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen became the first astronauts to travel to the moon in more than half a century, coming within 4,067 miles while test-driving NASA’s new Orion capsule. — Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Remnants of Dolly are in the Atlantic Ocean, 1,000 miles east of the Leeward Islands. — Miami Herald Hurricane Bot, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

One scientist estimated the Nepal-China flood wave roared down the first nearly 14 miles at a speed of 120 mph. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 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