millilitre

Millilitre, symbol mL, is a unit of volume in the metric system equal to one thousandth of a litre. It is defined as 0.001 litres and, in most contexts, is equivalent to one cubic centimetre (cm^3). Since 1 L = 1000 mL, measurements in millilitres are commonly used for liquids in medicine, chemistry, cooking, and science.

Although the litre is a non-SI unit, it is accepted for use with the SI; the millilitre is a submultiple of the litre and likewise accepted for use with SI. The internationally recommended symbol uses a capital L to avoid confusion with the number 1 or the letter l, so the standard form is mL.

Historically, the litre was defined in the late 18th century as the volume of a cubic decimetre (one cubic decimetre). The millilitre arose as a convenient subdivision for measuring smaller volumes and is widely used in dosing, laboratory work, and beverage labeling.

Examples: a typical 250 mL bottle, a 5 mL dose, or a 100 mL beaker. In clinical and culinary contexts, precision amounts are often expressed in millilitres; for small quantities, microlitre (μL) may be used. The prefix milli- denotes a thousandth, and the litre itself is the base volume unit in many metric systems, with the millilitre serving as the practical unit for everyday measurements.