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

An area of tough competition and high rewards; the largest or foremost of its kind. For example, Winning an Oscar put this unknown actress in the big league. The term alludes to the major (big) leagues of American baseball. [Late 1800s] Also see big time, def. 2.

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.

“If you don’t think I’m good enough, you lose $0 and there’s no risk to the big league club,” Bauer wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Ranking in the bottom five among big league pitchers in run support last season, the Dodgers couldn’t drum up support for their ace of aces Wednesday either.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The middle infielder enters his 13th and final big league season with a total of 57 home runs.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023