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
Recent Examples on the Web
Authorities conducted more than 15 hours of search operations, covering more than 84 square nautical miles, before suspending the search the following day.
—
Tim Fang, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense has stated that live-fire drills are taking place in its territorial waters, approximately 12 nautical miles (22 km) from its coastline.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 Jan. 2026
As the drills unfolded, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels were operating near the island, with some engaging in close stand-offs near Taiwan’s contiguous zone, about 24 nautical miles from shore.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Crews searched 84 nautical miles for swimmer According to a joint statement from the Coast Guard, City of Pacific Grove, and City of Monterey, the search ended on Monday after 15 hours and more than 84 square nautical miles.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
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Tim Fang, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense has stated that live-fire drills are taking place in its territorial waters, approximately 12 nautical miles (22 km) from its coastline.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 Jan. 2026
As the drills unfolded, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels were operating near the island, with some engaging in close stand-offs near Taiwan’s contiguous zone, about 24 nautical miles from shore.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Crews searched 84 nautical miles for swimmer According to a joint statement from the Coast Guard, City of Pacific Grove, and City of Monterey, the search ended on Monday after 15 hours and more than 84 square nautical miles.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
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 13 Jan. 2026.
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