milliliter

milliliter — noun

1. a standard metric unit for measuring how much space a small amount of liquid or

1.nounB1
Definition

a standard metric unit for measuring how much space a small amount of liquid or other substance takes up. One milliliter (written as mL) equals exactly 0.001 liters.

Example

Brooke poured 250 milliliters of water into the saucepan before adding the rice.

[number] milliliters of [substance] for measuring ingredients

The doctor told Kofi to take 15 milliliters of the liquid medicine before each meal.

take [number] milliliters of [medicine] for dosage instructions

Common collocations
  • [number] + milliliters + of + [liquid/substance]
  • per + milliliter
  • [substance] + per + milliliter
Synonyms
  • cubic centimeter

    Exactly the same volume as 1 mL; used mainly in medical and scientific contexts (abbreviated as cc).

Antonyms
  • liter

    A much larger unit; 1 liter = 1,000 milliliters.

Grammar Patterns

[number] milliliter(s) of [substance]

[substance] + verb + [number] + milliliter(s)

Usage Note

Abbreviated as mL or ml on product labels and in recipes. The abbreviation is written without a period.

Common Mistakes

Drink two liters of this cough syrup every four hours.
Drink 15 milliliters of this cough syrup every four hours.
A liter is a thousand times larger than a milliliter; medicine doses are almost always given in mL.
Add 5 milliliters of salt to the soup.
Add 5 grams of salt to the soup.
Use milliliters (mL) for liquids and grams (g) for dry solids like salt or flour.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Milliliter (mL), liter (L), and cubic centimeter (cc) are all metric volume units, but they differ in scale and typical use. A milliliter is one thousandth of a liter — useful for small amounts such as medicine doses, cooking ingredients, or perfume. A liter is a thousand times larger, used for drinks, fuel, and household containers. A cubic centimeter (cc) is exactly equal to 1 mL in volume; it appears mainly in medical syringe markings and engine displacement specifications (e.g., a 1,500 cc car engine). In everyday cooking, you will see milliliters on measuring cups and food labels. In hospitals, doctors may use cc for injections, but mL and cc mean the same amount.

milliliter ↗liter ↗cubic centimeter

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • [number] milliliters of [substance]
  • per milliliter
  • milliliters per [unit]

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word combines the metric prefix 'milli-' (meaning one thousandth, from Latin 'mille' meaning thousand) with 'liter', which comes from French 'litre', itself derived from an older unit called the 'litron' (a French unit of capacity). The term was adopted into English in the early 1800s as the metric system spread across Europe.

First known use

1810

1810, in the meaning defined above