ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mileage

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈmaɪɫədʒ// UK //mˈaɪlɪdʒ// mileage Informal Slang

n. the distance a vehicle travels in a certain amount of fuel, or the total distance it has traveled. In a casual way, it can also mean how much use or benefit you get from something.

n. the total distance traveled by a vehicle, or the number of miles a vehicle travels per unit of fuel. In figurative contexts, it refers to the usefulness or benefit derived from a particular idea, situation, or object.


SIMPLE

The car is old but it has very low mileage.

CONTEXTUAL

I managed to get a lot of mileage out of that old suit by wearing it to several different weddings.

COMPLEX

The political analyst suggested that the candidate had already gotten all the mileage possible out of that specific campaign promise and needed a fresh platform.

Synonyms
Origin

From mile + -age.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to fuel efficiency or general distance; can be used with 'much' or 'little' in figurative contexts.

Idioms1 entry

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