Definition of mile
1 : any of various units of distance: such asa : a unit equal to 5280 feet — see weight tableb : nautical mile
2 : a race of a mile
3 : a relatively great distance, degree, or interval —used chiefly adverbially in plural was miles ahead of them in education
a mile a minute
: with great speed talking a mile a minute
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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 of mile from the Web
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His hometown of Edinboro is about 350 miles from Washington.
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In what could become a key battle, government forces are pushing toward Deir Ezzor, a city about 140 kilometers (85 miles) southeast of Raqqa, which has been besieged by the jihadists since 2015, and also offers control of the frontier with Iraq.
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The U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an evening advisory that the storm was centered about 120 miles (195 kilometers) south-southwest of Puerto Angel.
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Chesterton repaved almost 2 miles of roads last September after receiving $156,000 in funds for $312,000 in road projects, said John Schnadenberg, that town's street commissioner.
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Billboards creaked over on their steel poles, trees crashed to the ground and roof tiles blew about like scraps of newspaper as gusts of at least 49 miles per hour lashed the city.
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Authorities said the two had engaged in an argument, flailing their arms and yelling, for several miles before Tillmon opened fire on April 21.
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The cabin's located on a 10-acre blueberry farm about four miles south of the town.
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Moscow has made bold underwater territorial claims in the Arctic extending past the traditional 200 mile Economic Exclusion Zone claimed by all countries, including parts of the North Pole.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mile'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of mile
Middle English, from Old English mīl, from Latin milia miles, from milia passuum, literally, thousands of paces, from milia, plural of mille thousand
MILE Defined for English Language Learners
mile
playDefinition of mile for English Language Learners
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: a unit of measurement equal to 5,280 feet (about 1,609 meters)
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miles : a great distance
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: a race that is a mile long
MILE Defined for Kids
mile
playDefinition of mile for Students
1 : a measure of distance (statute mile) equal to 5280 feet (1609 meters)
2 : a measure of distance (geographical mile or nautical mile) used in air and sea travel equal to about 6076 feet (1852 meters)
History for mile
In English we use the word mile for two different lengths. Though the ancient Roman mile was not the same as either of these, the English word mile comes from the Latin name for the Roman mile. This Latin word, milia, came from the phrase milia passuum, literally, “thousands of steps.” From the Latin word for “thousand,” mille, we also get the words mill (a thousandth of a dollar) and million (a thousand thousands).
Learn More about mile
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See words that rhyme with mile Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mile Spanish Central: Translation of mile Nglish: Translation of mile for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of mile for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mile
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