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 miles from nowhere

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

At the core of South Africa’s push to reset its ties with the US while maintaining strong relations with China are mines like the giant Mogalakwena site, 150 miles north of Johannesburg and operated by Valterra Platinum. — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

The first missile flew about 280 miles while the second one flew more than 370 miles, both toward the North's eastern waters, South Korea's military said. — Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026

The goal was to reduce traffic and crashes along an 11-mile stretch of I-77 South from the Brookshire Freeway exit to the South Carolina border. — Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2026

Lines of trucks stretch for miles, and drivers sometimes wait more than three weeks to finally bring their cargoes across a border. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 20 Sep. 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