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statute mile

statute mile

3.0
A unit of distance equal to 5,280 feet or 1,609 meters
  • noun
  • /ˈstætʃuːt maɪl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : milla estatutaria

Examples

  • "It's about one point fifteen statute miles."

    Fiction book (1999)
  • That's one of the few things in aviation that's reported in statute miles is a visibility.

  • 300 statute miles is the exact distance between Seleucia Pieria and the Temple Mount.

    Blog text (19)
  • The exact location of the Beilan pass and the camp of his general Parmenion from where Alexander turned to attack Darius is 333 statute miles from the Temple Mount.

    Blog text (19)
  • For comparison with the figure from the book, the distance between 5 degrees of latitude in the figure below is 555 km (300 nautical miles or 345 statute miles).

    Blog text (7)
  • The race was 10 statute miles long, winding through the scenic countryside.

  • In the United States, speed limits on highways are often posted in statute miles per hour.

  • He drove for three statute miles before realizing he was on the wrong road.

Synonyms

mile
vsstatute mile
1.0

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

is the precisely statute-defined length rather than the generic unit name
mi
vsstatute mile
4 1.0

A unit of distance equal to 1,609 meters

is the full legal name rather than the two-letter abbreviation
land mile
vsstatute mile
  • Specialized
2.0

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

is the legally defined length rather than the sea measurement
international mile
vsstatute mile
  • Specialized
3.0

A unit of length equal to 1,609.344 meters used in the United States and the United Kingdom

is the legally fixed length rather than a regionally noted term
stat mi
vsstatute mile
  • Specialized
5.3

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

is the full legal name rather than the short written form

Surface Forms

statute mile singular
statute miles plural

Morphology

statute + mile

The compound is a straightforward head-modifier combination: 'statute' (law) modifies 'mile' (unit), so the meaning — a mile defined by statute or legal standard — is directly derivable from the parts. While the exact numeric value is technical, a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand this denotes a specific legally defined type of mile rather than an idiomatic or unpredictable sense.

Etymology

Statute mile comes from a time when different places used different lengths for a mile, so a law fixed one official mile. The word statute means 'by law' and mile is a distance, so today a statute mile always means 5,280 feet, about 1,609 meters.