mile

noun \ ˈmī(-ə)l \

Definition of mile

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 —used chiefly adverbially in plural

was miles ahead of them in education

— a mile a minute

:with great speed

talking a mile a minute

See mile defined for English-language learners

See mile defined for kids

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

On the other hand, the penumbra measures more than 4,000 miles across.

— michael e. bakich, Discover Magazine, "Solar Eclipse Geometry," 7 Aug. 2017
Carillon, a community of about 2,100 homes, is one mile south of I-55, where the state plans to upgrade the interchange at Weber.

— susan demar lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Will County considering temporary traffic signal on Weber," 4 Aug. 2017
Dark streaks on the shoulders of their shirts showed where weight and miles had worn the fabric thin.

— dave philipps, New York Times, "Finding Some Peace After War," 2 Aug. 2017
Be sure to stop at the C.L. Graham Overlook just below the summit of Kancamangus Pass, then picnic at Sabbaday Falls in Conway, a half-mile walk from the trail head that ends in a waterfall, before heading north to Bretton Woods on 302.

— alyssa giacobbe, Town & Country, "The 7 Best Places to See Fall Foliage in New England," 31 July 2017
That acreage, a 1.5 square-mile area the size of Shorewood, could be assembled from parcels that initially aren't contiguous, the source said.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Made in the USA, Baby," 27 July 2017
They're controlled by an app that can be activated as soon as the clouds roll in, even from miles away.

— caitlin kelly, House Beautiful, "This Isn't Your Typical Jersey Shore Vacation Home," 24 July 2017
And while Disney and its Avengers are still miles ahead of Warner Bros. and the Justice League at the box office (for now), the studio isn’t about to let its main competition have all the self-referential fun.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "The Sneaky New Way Studios Are Fast-Tracking Super Franchises," 22 July 2017
Fired from guns that used magnetism to accelerate objects to speeds of up to 5,600 miles per hour, the projectiles didn't even have explosive warheads.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Mach 3 Ammo Will Make Navy Guns Much More Lethal," 19 July 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

mile Synonyms

Synonyms

afar, country mile, far cry, long haul

Antonyms

hair, inch, step, stone's throw

Related Words

infinity, light-year

MILE Defined for English Language Learners

mile

noun

Definition of mile for English Language Learners

: a unit of measurement equal to 5,280 feet (about 1,609 meters)
miles : a great distance
: a race that is a mile long

MILE Defined for Kids

mile

noun \ ˈmīl \

Definition 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).