nautical mile
noun
: any of various units of distance used for sea and air navigation based on the length of a minute of arc of a great circle of the earth and differing because the earth is not a perfect sphere: such as
a
: a British unit equal to 6080 feet (1853.2 meters)
b
: an international unit equal to exactly 1852 meters (6076.115 feet or 1.15 statute miles) used officially in the U.S. since July 1, 1954
Examples of nautical mile in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The dredged material will be deposited into the Atlantic Ocean 2 nautical miles (4 kilometers) north of the U.S. territory in a move approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, officials said.
—
Danica Coto, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Throttle back to 10 knots and its range extends to over 2,700 nautical miles before having to refuel.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024
The Chinese fishing boat capsized about 1.07 nautical miles west of Taiwan’s Dongding island, the coast guard said, with armed forces stationed there also engaging in the rescue, but did not elaborate.
—Reuters, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
Powered by twin 560 hp MAN engines, the yachts can travel at a max speed of 13.5 knots, cruise at 9 knots, and cover 3,000 nautical miles at 8 knots.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
An aircraft that could typically search 300 square nautical miles per hour can search up to 2,000 using Sentient Observer.
—Byluisa Beltran, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Scenic Swims in Corsica Photo: Getty Images Most Popular
With its close proximity to Italy, located just 10 nautical miles from beautiful Sardinia, international travelers often overlook Corsica altogether when considering their options for a summer holiday in France.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2024
The 746 guests setting sail on Regent Seven Seas Splendor on January 11, 2027, will embark on a remarkable 140-night voyage covering more than 35,000 nautical miles, stopping at 71 ports of call, touching land in 40 countries across six continents.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The sheen was first reported Thursday evening about 2.5 nautical miles off Huntington Beach near two oil platforms, Emmy and Eva.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
Danica Coto, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Throttle back to 10 knots and its range extends to over 2,700 nautical miles before having to refuel.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024
The Chinese fishing boat capsized about 1.07 nautical miles west of Taiwan’s Dongding island, the coast guard said, with armed forces stationed there also engaging in the rescue, but did not elaborate.
—Reuters, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
Powered by twin 560 hp MAN engines, the yachts can travel at a max speed of 13.5 knots, cruise at 9 knots, and cover 3,000 nautical miles at 8 knots.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
An aircraft that could typically search 300 square nautical miles per hour can search up to 2,000 using Sentient Observer.
—Byluisa Beltran, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Scenic Swims in Corsica Photo: Getty Images Most Popular
With its close proximity to Italy, located just 10 nautical miles from beautiful Sardinia, international travelers often overlook Corsica altogether when considering their options for a summer holiday in France.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2024
The 746 guests setting sail on Regent Seven Seas Splendor on January 11, 2027, will embark on a remarkable 140-night voyage covering more than 35,000 nautical miles, stopping at 71 ports of call, touching land in 40 countries across six continents.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The sheen was first reported Thursday evening about 2.5 nautical miles off Huntington Beach near two oil platforms, Emmy and Eva.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nautical mile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Nautical mile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nautical%20mile. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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