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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It is situated in the busy Gulf of Finland, 14 nautical miles from the Estonian mainland and 29 miles south of the Finnish mainland.
—
David Brennan, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2025
Powered by twin MTUs rated at 2,638 hp each, the yacht has an economic cruising speed of 11 knots, a cruising speed of 19 knots, a top speed of 22 knots, and a range of 1,000 nautical miles.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2025
Crewmember James Walters was recording from the cab of his 20-ton lift crane as one of the buoys was released 5 nautical miles north of Port Angeles, Washington, and 3 nautical miles south of Race Rocks, British Columbia, officials said.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
The Taiwanese cutter sailed parallel to their path about 29 nautical miles (33 miles) south of Pratas Island, repeatedly broadcasting warnings to leave the area, according to the statement.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
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David Brennan, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2025
Powered by twin MTUs rated at 2,638 hp each, the yacht has an economic cruising speed of 11 knots, a cruising speed of 19 knots, a top speed of 22 knots, and a range of 1,000 nautical miles.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2025
Crewmember James Walters was recording from the cab of his 20-ton lift crane as one of the buoys was released 5 nautical miles north of Port Angeles, Washington, and 3 nautical miles south of Race Rocks, British Columbia, officials said.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
The Taiwanese cutter sailed parallel to their path about 29 nautical miles (33 miles) south of Pratas Island, repeatedly broadcasting warnings to leave the area, according to the statement.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 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 16 Oct. 2025.
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