Baseball. either of the two top-tier baseball leagues (the American League and theNational League ) that are organized under and regulated by MLB.
Sports. a league of corresponding stature in certain other sports, such as ice hockey, soccer, football, or basketball.
Sports. of or relating to the major leagues, especially in baseball.
Informal. belonging to or among the best or most important of its kind.
a major-league orchestra.
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
An Americanism dating back to 1905–10; adjective use of major league ( def. )
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While Major League Soccer, the highest professional league in the U.S., is growing in popularity, top soccer talent generally migrates to European soccer leagues.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
When Major League Baseball unveiled its initial batch of All-Star voting results Monday, four players from the team that so bothers the rest of America were in position to make the National League starting lineup.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
That tournament had a significant and lasting impact on the football culture in the country, boosting its popularity and paving the way for the creation of Major League Soccer.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
The 1994 tournament also gave birth to Major League Soccer, the largest first-division league in the world, and endowed a foundation that has funded grassroots soccer development for more than a generation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
But they saw Major League written all over him and they took pride in that.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
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.
