nautical mile

American  

noun

1. a unit of distance used chiefly in navigation, equal to 6080.20 feet (1853.25 meters) in the United States, now replaced by the international nautical mile.

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nautical mile British  

noun

1. 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)

2. 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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nautical mile Scientific  

/ nô′tĭ-kəl /

1. 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).

2. Also called geographic mile

3. See Table at measurement

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Etymology

Origin of nautical mile

First recorded in 1625–35

Compare meaning

How does nautical-mile compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• nautical mile vs. statute mile

Example Sentences

Had Motin changed course about one nautical mile away from the anchored oil tanker, "there would have been no collision", he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 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

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

The 10 nautical mile area security zone blocks vessels from entering without permission of the Coast Guard and is intended to protect the public "from potential hazards associated with physical objects."

From Reuters • Feb. 6, 2023

There wasn’t even yet an agreed length for a nautical mile.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson