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

According to the Palo Alto Transportation Management Association, the program kept nearly three million car miles off local roads last year and cut more than a thousand tons of greenhouse gas emissions. —Itay Hod, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026

Set near the foot of South Mountain and its 100 miles of trails, Wonderift adopts an earthy ethos, recycling grounds and providing a no-velvet-couch, no-frills hangout to hikers. —Chris Malloy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026

Instead of driving a 25-mile loop on an ATV for four hours to check the property for soon-to-be mothers, Mushrush uses Halter to ensure none of the cows have calved. —Jake Angelo, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026

Located on the 24-mile Santa Rosa Island, just across the bridge from bustling Destin, Okaloosa Island is a three-mile stretch of beach that also contains the oceanfront community of Fort Walton Beach. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 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