league
1 Americannoun
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a covenant or compact made between persons, parties, states, etc., for the promotion or maintenance of common interests or for mutual assistance or service.
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the aggregation of persons, parties, states, etc., associated in such a covenant or compact; confederacy.
- Synonyms:
- coalition, combination
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an association of individuals having a common goal.
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Sports. a group of athletic teams organized to promote mutual interests and to compete chiefly among themselves: a tri-county community softball league.
a bowling league for ages 12–18;
a tri-county community softball league.
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Sports.
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a major league.
He played in both leagues, with four different teams, but he’ll always be remembered most as a Cincinnati Red.
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a minor league.
During her tenure as general manager of the league in Florida, eight of her players were promoted to the majors.
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As a pianist he just simply isn't in your league.
verb (used with or without object)
idioms
noun
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a unit of distance, varying at different periods and in different countries: in English-speaking countries usually estimated roughly at 3 miles (4.8 kilometers).
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a square league, as a unit of land measure, estimated roughly at 4,428 acres (1,791.9 hectares).
noun
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an association or union of persons, nations, etc, formed to promote the interests of its members
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an association of sporting clubs that organizes matches between member teams of a similar standard
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a class, category, or level
he is not in the same league
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working or planning together (with)
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(modifier) of, involving, or belonging to a league
a league game
a league table
verb
noun
Related Words
See alliance.
Etymology
Origin of league1
First recorded in 1425–75; from French ligue, from Italian liga, lega, from legare, from Latin ligāre “to tie, bind”
Origin of league2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English lege, leghe, leuge, from Old French legue, from Late Latin leuga, leuca, a Gaulish unit of distance equal to 1.5 Roman miles, apparently from Gaulish; (compare Breton leó, leu, lev “league”)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Instead, it was a troublesome topic that has exploded into an existential crisis for the league.
No one else in major league history has hit one in the World Series.
From Los Angeles Times
Only in five previous league seasons has it been bigger by the end of a campaign.
From BBC
To think Newcastle kept five clean sheets in their opening seven league fixtures.
From BBC
West Ham have won just six league games this season but are unbeaten in their past three.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
