Meanings
plural geographical miles
- A unit of length corresponding to exactly one minute of arc (1/60 degree) along the Earth's equator, about 1855.4 meters, 2029.1 yards, or roughly 8/7 international miles.
Near-synonyms: nautical mile, sea mile (very close to the same distance)
2 more examples
A geographical mile I call ye sixtith part of a degree of a great circle upon the earth & these miles upon ye body of the Moon in her mean distance from us answer to seconds.
1700 February 27, Isaac Newton, letterThe equator is exactly 21,600 geographical miles long, about 40,075 km or 24,901 miles.
Synonyms: nautical mile, sea mile
- now inexactSynonym of nautical mile, exactly 1,852 meters.
Synonyms: nautical mile, exactly 1, 852 meters
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA unit of length corresponding to exactly one minute of arc (1/60 degree) along the Earth's equator, about 1855.4 meters, 2029.1 yards, or roughly 8/7 international miles.
nounSynonym of nautical mile, exactly 1,852 meters.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna former British unit of length equivalent to 6,080 feet (1,853.184 meters); 800 feet longer than a statute mile
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
geographical mile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geographical%20mile
“geographical mile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geographical%20mile. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “geographical mile,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geographical%20mile.
Source: geographical mile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.