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

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

The bills would prohibit offshore wind turbines within one mile of the coastline or intracoastal waterways as well as within all state waters, which extend three nautical miles from shore on the Atlantic side of the state and nine nautical miles on the Gulf side. —Emily L. Mahoney, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024

After negotiations with Taipei, Beijing agreed at the time to move the route six nautical miles to the west of its original path. —Wayne Chang, CNN, 31 Jan. 2024

This aircraft has a range from Los Angeles to New York (maximum of 2,700 nautical miles) and can accommodate up to nine passengers. —Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

nautical mile

noun

: any of various units of distance used for sea and air navigation equal to about 6076 feet (1852 meters)