mileage

noun

mile·​age ˈmī-lij 

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

Synonyms of mileage

• use
• usefulness
• avail
• utility

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

What a Protection Plan Actually Costs American Dream Auto Protect confirms eligibility during the quote process rather than publishing a fixed age or mileage cutoff, so drivers of older cars shouldn’t assume they’re priced out without asking. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026

Structure-wise, there is some character vapor, but taste mileage varies on that anyway. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026

As to authenticating that low odometer reading, Weaver assures that plugging a reader into its transmission revealed the exact mileage. — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2026

But depending on just how old your teen is, their mileage may vary. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mileage

• mileage allowance
• your mileage may vary

Rhymes for mileage

• silage

Kids Definition

mileage

noun

mile·​age ˈmī-lij 

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