mileage

noun

mile·​age ˈmī-lij 

1

: an allowance for traveling expenses at a certain rate per mile

2

: aggregate length or distance in miles: such as

a

: the total miles traveled especially in a given period of time

b

: the amount of service that something will yield especially as expressed in terms of miles of travel

c

: the average number of miles a motor vehicle will travel on a gallon of gasoline that is used as a measure of fuel economy

gets good mileage

3

a

: usefulness

got a lot of mileage left in it

b

: benefit derived from something

got good political mileage from the debates

Synonyms of mileage

• use
• usefulness
• avail
• utility

Examples of mileage in a Sentence

a car with high mileage

My new car gets much better mileage than my old one did.

The company has gotten a lot of mileage out of a simple idea.

The movie gets a lot of mileage out of an old story.

Recent Examples on the Web

The change resulted in an opening segment that ran for 85 minutes under green as drivers cautiously raced well below their maximum speeds to achieve optimum mileage. —ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026

High school coaches cut back on mileage and intensity in response to charges that runners were burning out in their teens. —Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026

If Americans were to cut their total mileage by 10% this year, the average annual insurance premium would likely drop to $2,209. —Contessa Brewer,dawn Giel, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026

Drivers get better gas mileage and don’t have to worry about searching for a charging station. —Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mileage

• mileage allowance

Rhymes for mileage

• silage

Kids Definition

mileage

noun

mile·​age ˈmī-lij 

1

: an allowance for traveling expenses at a certain rate per mile

2

: distance or distance covered in miles

3

: the number of miles that something (as a tire) will travel before wearing out

4

: the average number of miles a vehicle will travel on a gallon of gasoline