Meter (m)
The metre (m) is the SI base unit of length, defined since 1983 as the distance light travels in vacuum in 1/299 792 458 of a second.
Symbol: m
Quantity: length and distance
SI relation: m is the coherent SI unit of length.
Derivation: SI base unit: the distance light travels in vacuum in 1/299 792 458 s
Exact: yes, by definition
History
First defined in 1793 as one ten-millionth of the distance from the North Pole to the equator, then by a platinum-iridium bar (1889), a krypton-86 wavelength (1960) and the speed of light (1983).
Typical uses
- Building, room and land dimensions
- Sports distances and heights
- Base for area (m²), volume (m³) and speed (m/s)
Convert meters to other units
| Conversion | 1 m equals | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| meter to kilometer | 0.001 km | kilometer to meter |
| meter to centimeter | 100 cm | centimeter to meter |
| meter to millimeter | 1000 mm | millimeter to meter |
| meter to mile | 0.0006213711922 mi | mile to meter |
| meter to foot | 3.280839895 ft | foot to meter |
| meter to inch | 39.37007874 in | inch to meter |
| meter to micrometer | 1000000 µm | micrometer to meter |
| meter to nanometer | 1000000000 nm | nanometer to meter |
| meter to yard | 1.093613298 yd | yard to meter |
| meter to nautical mile | 0.0005399568035 nmi | nautical mile to meter |
| meter to angstrom | 10000000000 Å | angstrom to meter |
| meter to mil | 39370.07874 mil | mil to meter |
Open the Length Converter to convert any value between all units.
Sources
- The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition (SI Brochure), Bureau International des Poids et Mesures , Section 2.3.1, base unit definitions.
Last reviewed: . Factors are stored exactly and computed with 50-digit decimal arithmetic. See how we verify conversion factors.
Cite this page
APA
Scientific Converters. (2026, October 15). Meter (m). Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://scientificconverters.com/units/meter/
IEEE
Scientific Converters, "Meter (m)," scientificconverters.com. Accessed: Oct. 17, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://scientificconverters.com/units/meter/