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Glite Dictionary
international mile

international mile

3.0
A unit of length equal to 1,609.344 meters used in the United States and the United Kingdom
  • noun
  • /ˌɪntəˈnæʃənl maɪl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : milla internacional
  • The marathon is officially measured in international miles for standardization purposes.

Examples

  • A footrace of one international mile is equal to 1,609.344 meters.

  • The race was measured in international miles.

  • Road distances in the UK are often marked in international miles instead of kilometers.

  • She ran an international mile in record time.

  • The race was measured in international miles, which are commonly used in both the US and the UK.

  • She completed her marathon in 26.2 international miles, a standard distance for racing events.

  • In the United States, roads are often marked with signs that indicate the distance in international miles.

Synonyms

mile
vsinternational mile
∞ 1.0

A measure of distance equal to 1,609 meters used for roads in the US and UK

is the same measure but carries a globally fixed numeric definition
mi
vsinternational mile
4 1.0

A unit of distance equal to 1,609 meters

is the full official name for the same unit rather than its abbreviation
statute mile
vsinternational mile
  • Specialized
3.0

A unit of distance equal to 5,280 feet or 1,609 meters

is the identical measure but named by global agreement rather than local law
land mile
vsinternational mile
  • Specialized
2.0

A unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet used on land

is the same length but named by global agreement rather than by domain use
stat mi
vsinternational mile
  • Specialized
5.3

A unit of length equal to 1,760 yards, about 1,609 meters

is the same measure but presented as the full official name rather than abbreviation

Surface Forms

international mile singular
international miles plural

Morphology

international + mile

The meaning is directly compositional: 'international' (relating to multiple countries or standard across countries) modifies 'mile' (a unit of length), so the phrase denotes a mile defined/used for international standardization. This follows ordinary adjective+noun semantics and is readily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

International mile comes from countries agreeing on one exact 'mile' so people would not be confused by different local miles. So the international mile is the standard 'mile' of 1,609.344 meters that many countries use today.