big league
noun
a major league, as in baseball.
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big league
1 American
[big leeg]
/ ˈbɪg ˈlig /
noun
-
Sports. a major league, as in baseball.
His debut in the big leagues was as a relief pitcher for the Dodgers in the final game of the regular season.
-
Informal. the area of greatest competition, highest achievement or rewards, etc..
He's a local politician who isn't ready for the big league.
big-league
2
American
[big-leeg]
/ ˈbɪgˈlig /
adjective
-
Sports. of or belonging to a major league.
a big-league pitcher.
-
Informal. among the largest, foremost, etc., of its kind.
the big-league steel companies.
big league
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of big league1
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
Origin of big-league2
An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; adjective use of big 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.
See Examples For:
O'Neill described the interest in both players as "disappointing" but "to be expected", adding that it is "difficult to stop people if their ambition is to play in a big, big league".
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Burke came out in 1982, three years after playing his 225th and final big league game, in an Inside Sports article, “The Double Life of a Gay Dodger.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
The story is dead in a couple days, you lose $0, and there’s no risk to the big league club.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
William Blair analyst Neal Dingmann thinks the acquisition price represents a “compelling valuation for a big league company.”
From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026
So Langston is our big league rival, and even though they have everything our team would love to have, we have the one thing a team can’t buy.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Because while Pride did everything every big-league team asked of him — homering in his first games for both the Red Sox and Yankees — it was never enough to make him an everyday player.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
For those qualified to work at a big-league tech shop, plenty of other compelling opportunities likely await, she says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Matt Wilkinson, a 250-pound left-hander with a throwback nickname, defied the odds to make his big-league debut on Wednesday for the San Francisco Giants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
It’s not unlike what the Dodgers do, with their prize-winning farm system buffeting their star-studded,championship-winning, big-league club.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
If you knew anything at all about big-league society, you'd know that sending invitations to meet the family—that's the way these swells do things when they're all set to do business.
From Children of the Whirlwind by Leroy Scott
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.
