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

But Emerald Bay is gate-guarded, accessible only to residents, and its half-mile stretch of golden sand is bordered by the cliffs of two jutting points, geographically cutting off public access via other beaches. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026

American Airlines AAdvantage® Mastercard® credit cardmembers also have the ability to redeem AAdvantage® miles to see Pillsbury live. — Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026

The incident took place Sunday at the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, about 40 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 24 June 2026

Officers found the 9-foot-tall, 1,500-pound bronze figure about a mile away, near the intersection of Coyote Creek and Five Wounds Trail – around the Jungle, which was once the city’s largest homeless encampment. — Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 23 June 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