1
: any of various units of distance: such as
a
: a unit equal to 5280 feet see Weights and Measures Table
2
: a race of a mile
3
: a relatively great distance, degree, or interval
usually plural
was miles ahead of them in education
sometimes used adverbially
This one is miles [=much, far] better than that one.
Phrases
a mile a minute
: with great speed
talking a mile a minute

Examples of mile in a Sentence

We passed mile after mile of beautiful scenery as we drove through the country. We traveled over miles of dirt road. The car was traveling at 70 miles per hour. We were miles from home. We still have miles to go. The beach stretched on for miles and miles.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When paired with the $7,500 federal tax credit, the base front-wheel-drive model delivers 319 miles of driving range for under $30,000. Peter Douglas, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024 The trail to the resort site is along a mostly flat shelf that borders the southern shore of Twin Lakes, 22 miles from town. James Dziezynski, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2024 Given this linear trend, October has seen the loss of 1.38 million square miles of sea ice since 1979 — an area roughly equal to five times the size of Texas. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024 These routes, according the flight-tracking website Flightradar24, can span upwards of 9,000 miles. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mile 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English mīl, from Latin milia miles, from milia passuum, literally, thousands of paces, from milia, plural of mille thousand

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mile was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near mile

Cite this Entry

“Mile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mile. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mile

noun
1
: a unit of measure equal to 5280 feet (about 1609 meters)

called also statute mile

see measure
2

More from Merriam-Webster on mile

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!