mile

noun \ ˈmī(-ə)l \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

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

Its dramatically varied geography means that even a short ride from downtown Santa Cruz takes you through dense redwood forests, miles of pristine coastline or bucolic stretches of berry and vegetable farms.

— San Francisco Chronicle, "The 5 best bike rides around Santa Cruz," 11 Apr. 2018
There are so many training programs out there that talk about mile repeats, tempo runs, long runs.

— Health.com, "How to Harness Your Mental Strength, According to Marathon Record Holder Deena Kastor," 10 Apr. 2018
The White Oak Trail is slightly more than one mile.

— paige fumo fox, Daily Southtown, "Spring is prime time to spy wildflowers on nature walks," 10 Apr. 2018
Donald Hardwick, 45, of Watertown, was thrown from his Saturn at about 5:51 p.m. on to the grass median of Route 8 half a mile north of Exit 42 in Harwinton, police said.

— bill leukhardt, courant.com, "Police: Man Seriously Injured In Crash On Route 8 In Harwinton," 10 Apr. 2018
So for now, these protocols are going to remain the tool of the few who care enough about privacy to go the extra mile.

— sean gallagher, Ars Technica, "How to keep your ISP’s nose out of your browser history with encrypted DNS," 8 Apr. 2018
He was instructed to only coach for the summer, but a passion to go the extra mile led him to taking his club on a trip to a UC team camp.

— shelby dermer, Cincinnati.com, "Bryan Wyant's success at Hughes is about more than just basketball," 6 Apr. 2018
The move comes amid slumping passenger car sales for the entire industry, which means Nissan needs to go the extra mile to stand out in competition with larger crossovers.

— nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "See the brand-new Nissan Altima: Redesigned mid-size car revealed at New York Auto Show," 28 Mar. 2018
This carefully restored and updated Queen Anne Victorian in Santa Barbara, California, goes the extra mile in making it, well, extra.

— lauren ro, Curbed, "Updated Victorian with Italianate opulence asks $2.6M in California," 23 Mar. 2018

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

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).