mile

American  

[mahyl] / maɪl /

noun

• miles
  plural

1. Also called statute mile.  a unit of distance on land in English-speaking countries equal to 5,280 feet, or 1,760 yards (1.609 kilometers).

2. nautical mile.

3. international nautical mile.

4. any of various other units of distance or length at different periods and in different countries.

5. a notable distance or margin: mi, mi.

   missed the target by a mile.

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mile British  

/ maɪl /

noun

1. Also called: statute mile.  a unit of length used in the UK, the US, and certain other countries, equal to 1760 yards. 1 mile is equivalent to 1.609 34 kilometres

2. See nautical mile

3. See Swedish mile

4. any of various units of length used at different times and places, esp the Roman mile, equivalent to 1620 yards

5. informal (often plural) a great distance; great deal

   he missed by a mile

6. a race extending over a mile

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adverb

1. (intensifier)

   he likes his new job miles better

mile Scientific  

/ mīl /

1. A unit of length in the US Customary System, equal to 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards (about 1.61 kilometers).

2. Also called statute mile

3. See nautical mile See Table at measurement

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mile Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing mile

• miss by a mile
• miss is as good as a mile
• stick out (like a mile)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• miles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mile

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English mīl, from Latin mīlle (passus); mīlle, mīlia (passuum) “a thousand (paces), thousands of paces”

Explanation

A mile is a unit for measuring distance. There are 1,760 yards in a mile, which is the same as 5,280 feet or 63,360 inches. If you're exhausted in the morning, your mile-long walk to school might feel much longer. In the U.S. and the U.K., the mile is the standard unit for measuring roads and highways, while most other countries use the kilometer instead. You might hear people talk about how many miles per gallon their cars can go, or how many miles per hour they're allowed to drive. Informally, the word miles also means "a long way," or "a lot," so you might describe a crowd stretching for miles. The Latin root, milia, means "thousands."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mile miles

Some are very short — the Manitou Incline in Colorado is less than one mile long but climbs 1,900 feet and begins at 7,000 feet of elevation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

The earthquake was centered less than a mile from from Gardena, Inglewood and Westmont.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

His crowd, the people who came to see the mile world record holder on Saturday night.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

This Commonwealth Games men's mile was his race, in his country, in front of his people.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

That was the point of towers, so no one could rescue you unless your hair was a mile long.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Where the rules are changing the most is around cancellation policies and loyalty perks and miles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

So much so that basic-economy ticket buyers no longer earn miles for their flights if they don’t have one or status in the airline’s Mileage Plus program.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

“So, I’ll be about 12 miles away from 80%,” he calculated.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Each of the riders covers upward of 30 miles a day to treat every catch basin in the city’s urban and suburban areas, about 75,000 total, over the course of a month.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

“It’s this man. I’ve carried him over two hundred miles and he won’t help push up the hills. I’m sick of him. I’m going to leave him here in the Burn.…”

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen