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
Under the Trump administration's new order, U.S.-flagged vessels are allowed to fish commercially within 50 to 200 nautical miles of the boundaries of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.
—
Kelli Bender, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
It is intended to facilitate sea denial and control by striking ships from a distance of over 100 nautical miles (115 miles).
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Image That has prompted freighters going from Asia to Europe to stop traveling through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal and instead go around the southern tip of Africa — a voyage that is about 3,500 nautical miles and 10 days longer.
—Peter Eavis, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Seas were expected to range from 5 to 7 feet, with areas of fog lowering visibility to one nautical mile.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nautical mile
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Kelli Bender, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
It is intended to facilitate sea denial and control by striking ships from a distance of over 100 nautical miles (115 miles).
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Image That has prompted freighters going from Asia to Europe to stop traveling through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal and instead go around the southern tip of Africa — a voyage that is about 3,500 nautical miles and 10 days longer.
—Peter Eavis, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Seas were expected to range from 5 to 7 feet, with areas of fog lowering visibility to one nautical mile.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 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 6 May. 2025.
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