major league
1 Americannoun
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Baseball. either of the two top-tier baseball leagues (the American League and theNational League ) that are organized under and regulated by MLB.
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Sports. a league of corresponding stature in certain other sports, such as ice hockey, soccer, football, or basketball.
adjective
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Sports. of or relating to the major leagues, especially in baseball.
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Informal. belonging to or among the best or most important of its kind.
a major-league orchestra.
noun
Other Word Forms
- major leaguer noun
- major-leaguer noun
Etymology
Origin of major league1
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
Origin of major-league2
An Americanism dating back to 1905–10; adjective use of major league ( def. )
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.
The first 10 years of Lopes’ 16-year major league career were spent with the Dodgers, and he returned to the organization in 2011 to serve as first-base coach for five years.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
At a time major league owners would like you to believe market size equals destiny, the team with baseball’s longest postseason drought plays in the second-largest market in North America.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
For more than a year, the owners of other major league teams have telegraphed their desire to restrain all that spending, preferably through a salary cap.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
The Dodgers could bar every other major league team from moving into L.A., but not the Angels.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
His father was Willy “Winner” Prime, one of the best pitchers in major league baseball.
From "The Missing Mitt (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #2)" by Franklin W. Dixon
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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.