your mileage may vary
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Results or experiences may differ from person to person
Literally: the distance your car travels on a unit of fuel
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
This diet worked for me, but your mileage may vary
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “your mileage may vary” mean?
Results or experiences may differ from person to person Literally: the distance your car travels on a unit of fuel
Is “your mileage may vary” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.