league
1 Americannoun
-
a covenant or compact made between persons, parties, states, etc., for the promotion or maintenance of common interests or for mutual assistance or service.
-
the aggregation of persons, parties, states, etc., associated in such a covenant or compact; confederacy.
- Synonyms:
- coalition, combination
-
an association of individuals having a common goal.
-
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.
-
Sports.
-
a major league.
He played in both leagues, with four different teams, but he’ll always be remembered most as a Cincinnati Red.
-
a minor league.
During her tenure as general manager of the league in Florida, eight of her players were promoted to the majors.
-
-
As a pianist he just simply isn't in your league.
verb (used with or without object)
idioms
noun
-
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).
-
a square league, as a unit of land measure, estimated roughly at 4,428 acres (1,791.9 hectares).
noun
-
an association or union of persons, nations, etc, formed to promote the interests of its members
-
an association of sporting clubs that organizes matches between member teams of a similar standard
-
a class, category, or level
he is not in the same league
-
working or planning together (with)
-
(modifier) of, involving, or belonging to a league
a league game
a league table
verb
noun
Synonym Usage
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”)
Explanation
The two meanings of league are quite different — either it’s a group or federation joined for a common purpose (say, your bowling league or the League of Nations) or it’s a rough measurement of about three miles, usually at sea. One would hope that two such different meanings of the same word would have some deep connection far back in word history, but it does not seem to be the case here. The word meaning "an agreement of groups" appears to be related to the French word ligue, also found in ligature ("thing that ties"), while the league of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (an excellent adventure book if you’re in the mood) is from Middle English. We call words like these homographs — since spelling is all they seem to share!
Vocabulary lists containing league
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Baseball: A Lexicon
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Working Together: The Language of Unions
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
A five-time Ballon d'Or and five-time Champions League winner, Ronaldo has won league titles in England, Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia and is the all-time top goalscorer in men's international football.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
The pair’s greatest contribution to women’s basketball could be forcing the league to come up with some rule that keeps them out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Unless, of course, this is Betts, now at 33, in his — unlucky? — 13th major league season and seventh as a Dodger?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
But really, this level of incompetence is in a league of its own.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
He went with his father to a Titans baseball game, in the twilight semipro league.
From "Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli
Once we’re leagued up, we’ll post the results, and there’ll be a weekly column here summing up the score, the scenario, and the stats.
From The Verge ● Feb. 28, 2019
The interests leagued against Wiley, finally manufactured charges that he had misused the funds of his Bureau; and, though exonerated by President Taft after a careful investigation had been made, he resigned in protest.
From Time Magazine Archive
Other Post stockholders leagued to announce that Newhouse's 15% invasion was as far as he would be allowed to go.
From Time Magazine Archive
He may be leagued with his appointees to abstract and share a larger percentage of the assets than the law allows, thus cheating legitimate creditors.
From Time Magazine Archive
Big-hoofed gray horses spackled like wolves, that rolled their eyes and whinnied at my footfall, leagued with men as if strapped to their business by harness I could not see.
From "Grendel" by John Gardner
Meanwhile Modred had stirred up a revolt, and leaguing himself with the Saxon invaders, had usurped Arthur's throne.
From Selections from Wordsworth and Tennyson by William Wordsworth
The formation of the Society of Mezzotint 703 Engravers in 1898 is an example of the leaguing together of particular workers to call attention to their interests.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 6 "Armour Plates" to "Arundel, Earls of" by Various
Bordeaux had been the centre of a conspiracy for leaguing together the malcontents of la Vendée with those of the South, these again being in touch with the royalists of the Lyonnais and Franche Comté.
From William Pitt and the Great War by John Holland Rose
The godlike wish of genius, man to bless, With rank and wealth still leaguing to oppress!
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 57, No. 352, February 1845 by Various
Once a merchant brought with him a diving apparatus, but the divers were highly indignant, and leaguing against him refused to show the best banks.
From Southern Arabia by Theodore Bent
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.
