nautical mile
Americannoun
noun
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Also called: international nautical mile. air mile. a unit of length, used esp in navigation, equivalent to the average length of a minute of latitude, and corresponding to a latitude of 45°, i.e. 1852 m (6076.12 ft)
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Former name: geographical mile. a former British unit of length equal to 1853.18 m (6080 ft), which was replaced by the international nautical mile in 1970 Compare sea mile
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A unit of length in the US Customary System, used in air and sea navigation and equal to 6,076 feet or 2,025 yards (1,852 meters).
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Also called geographic mile
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See Table at measurement
Etymology
Origin of nautical mile
First recorded in 1625–35
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The "illegal" Florida-registered boat was detected one nautical mile from Falcones Cay in Villa Clara province, the ministry said in a brief statement.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
It was essentially the end of Clay’s political career: As he sailed away, Ms. Marshall writes, “with each nautical mile . . . Clay felt himself slipping from political relevance.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025
Taiwan’s coast guard said a boat carrying four people was fishing about one nautical mile away from Kinmen, which Taiwan has claimed as a restricted area largely for military purposes, and capsized during a chase.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 19, 2024
Beyond an unassuming door, 14 staff look after everything on the ground and anything within a 40 nautical mile radius in the sky.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2023
There wasn’t even yet an agreed length for a nautical mile.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
