nautical mile
noun
: any of various units of distance used for sea and air navigation based on the length of a minute of arc of a great circle of the earth and differing because the earth is not a perfect sphere: such as
a
: a British unit equal to 6080 feet (1853.2 meters)
b
: an international unit equal to exactly 1852 meters (6076.115 feet or 1.15 statute miles) used officially in the U.S. since July 1, 1954
Examples of nautical mile in a Sentence
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Agents with the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) seized the sailboat Soulmate, which belongs to Brian and Lynette Hooker, 40 nautical miles off the coast of Melbourne, Florida, according to a news release.
—
Adam Sabes , Preston Mizell, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
But as of mid-April, the number of flights spanning less than 250 nautical miles had declined by 11% from 2016 to 2026 — the biggest drop of any route length.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 13 May 2026
As for performance, Orion One is powered by twin Caterpillar engines that give it a cruising speed of 12 knots, a top speed of 15 knots, and a range of 1,500 nautical miles.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 May 2026
The target range is between 200 and 250 nautical miles (370 to 463 km).
—Omar Kardoudi
may 11, New Atlas, 11 May 2026
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Adam Sabes , Preston Mizell, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
But as of mid-April, the number of flights spanning less than 250 nautical miles had declined by 11% from 2016 to 2026 — the biggest drop of any route length.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 13 May 2026
As for performance, Orion One is powered by twin Caterpillar engines that give it a cruising speed of 12 knots, a top speed of 15 knots, and a range of 1,500 nautical miles.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 May 2026
The target range is between 200 and 250 nautical miles (370 to 463 km).
—Omar Kardoudi
may 11, New Atlas, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nautical mile
Cite this Entry
“Nautical mile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nautical%20mile. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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