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

Then in 2018, about 350 miles away in a CVS parking lot in Westminster, California, another man was shot six times in front of his girlfriend. — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

The group doesn’t control the part of Yemen’s coastline along Bab el-Mandeb but holds territory less than 60 miles away. — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026

Stringr The launch near where the trio was found is roughly seven miles southwest of a different boat launch, where a car belonging to one of the women was discovered with a window broken out, state police said in a statement Wednesday. — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2026

Matthew was a Category 1 storm that passed 20 miles offshore. — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 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