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:
"Anytime you hear about big league, big golfers, that also includes big prices," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
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
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
You lose $0 and there’s no risk to the big league club.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 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
California, however, has proved to be a heaven on earth for big-league moneymakers — billionaires, in modern-day dollars — for almost as far back as there were fortunes to be made.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
Two years later, he joined his father, Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame member Jack Buck, in the radio and booths for the big-league Cardinals’ games.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 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
He knew the general rules of big-league baseball, but the kid-business of stickball did not register.
From The Fourth R by George Oliver Smith
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
