# MIL

/ˈmɪɫ/ (US) · /mˈɪl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mil
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. million

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a short way of saying or writing 'million', often used when talking about money.

For teachers: a clipping of 'million', frequently employed in financial contexts or casual conversation regarding large sums.

- The house sold for over two mil last week.
- The startup secured another five mil in seed funding, allowing them to expand their engineering team significantly before the next quarter.

### 2. mother-in-law

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

Stands for Mother-In-Law.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Mother-In-Law. Often used in digital communication or informal writing to refer to the mother of one's spouse.

- My MIL is coming over for dinner this Sunday.
- Navigating the relationship with your MIL can be challenging during the first few years of marriage, especially regarding holiday traditions.

### 3. millilitre

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a short way of saying 'millilitre', a small unit of liquid.

For teachers: a clipping of 'millilitre', used primarily in informal speech or quick notes.

- Add about 500 mil of water to the mixture.
- The recipe calls for 250 mil of heavy cream, but you can substitute whole milk if you prefer a lighter texture.

### 4. measurement of thickness

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a very small unit of measurement used to describe how thick something is, like plastic or wire.

For teachers: a unit of length equal to one-thousandth of an inch, typically used to specify the thickness of materials like foils or coatings.

- The plastic bags are 3 mil thick to prevent them from tearing.
- The specifications require a 5 mil coating of epoxy to ensure the surface remains resistant to industrial chemicals.

### 5. military

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal · Technical

a short way of saying 'military'.

For teachers: a clipping of 'military', used as an attributive modifier in informal or technical contexts.

- He was wearing mil-spec boots designed for hiking.
- The hardware was built to mil-spec standards, ensuring it could withstand extreme temperatures and high-impact environments.

## Examples

- My MIL is coming over for dinner tonight.
- After the wedding, she spent the weekend getting to know her MIL better while they looked through old family photos.
- Navigating the relationship with a MIL can be a delicate balancing act of respecting established family traditions while asserting the independence of a new household.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.