mile

American  

[mahyl] / maɪl /

noun

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.

---

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

---

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

---

mile Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing mile

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

---

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

For an athlete with an 800m personal best below two minutes, it took her a demoralising 12 minutes to run her first mile.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

In 2011 the U.S. discovered that Osama bin Laden was hiding less than a mile from Pakistan’s leading military academy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

She had to be treated for a trapped nerve in her glute at mile five, and again at mile 11.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

“I went the extra mile to reach out to someone, whether they were on HR or whether they were the hiring manager,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

“How about playing the longest game of freeze tag? Or roller Frisbee? Or doing a crab walk for a mile? Or fitting the most people into the cool tub?”

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan