mileage

noun

mile·​age ˈmī-lij How to pronounce mileage (audio)
1
: an allowance for traveling expenses at a certain rate per mile
2
: aggregate length or distance in miles: such as
a
: the total miles traveled especially in a given period of time
b
: the amount of service that something will yield especially as expressed in terms of miles of travel
c
: the average number of miles a motor vehicle will travel on a gallon of gasoline that is used as a measure of fuel economy
gets good mileage
3
a
: usefulness
got a lot of mileage left in it
b
: benefit derived from something
got good political mileage from the debates

Examples of mileage in a Sentence

a car with high mileage My new car gets much better mileage than my old one did. The company has gotten a lot of mileage out of a simple idea. The movie gets a lot of mileage out of an old story.
Recent Examples on the Web Your mileage may vary to the point of completely sputtering out. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 Everyone’s mileage varies on the holidays (and Santa). Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 13 Feb. 2024 Your mileage may vary, again, depending on your wine choice. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2024 The mileage rate used when driving in service of charitable organizations remains at 14 cents. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 23 Jan. 2024 Compare prices across different rental services and look for deals that include insurance and/or don’t limit mileage, as this can significantly reduce your overall spending. David Nikel, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The idea of wearability and clothes that offer good mileage has become a primary focus of Cuming, who will turn 32 this coming Friday. José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 These amounts are to be adjusted for annual inflation rates and standard mileage rate adjustments. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 25 Feb. 2024 In 1985, the average mileage in a passenger vehicle jumped from 13.5 miles per gallon to 27.5 miles per gallon. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mileage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mileage was in 1724

Dictionary Entries Near mileage

Cite this Entry

“Mileage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mileage. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mileage

noun
mile·​age ˈmī-lij How to pronounce mileage (audio)
1
: an allowance for traveling expenses at a certain rate per mile
2
: distance or distance covered in miles
3
: the number of miles that something (as a tire) will travel before wearing out
4
: the average number of miles a vehicle will travel on a gallon of gasoline

More from Merriam-Webster on mileage

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