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Showing results for major league. Search instead for major outage.
Synonyms

major league

1 American  
[mey-jer leeg] / ˈmeɪ dʒər ˈlig /

noun

  1. Baseball. either of the two top-tier baseball leagues (the American League and theNational League ) that are organized under and regulated by MLB.

  2. Sports. a league of corresponding stature in certain other sports, such as ice hockey, soccer, football, or basketball.

major-league 2 American  
[mey-jer-leeg] / ˈmeɪ dʒərˈlig /

adjective

  1. Sports. of or relating to the major leagues, especially in baseball.

  2. Informal. belonging to or among the best or most important of its kind.

    a major-league orchestra.
major league British  

noun

  1. a league of highest classification in baseball, football, hockey, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

But the figure seemed ambitious, since no major league team ever had sold for even $3 billion.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

And, if the Dodgers can match up with Team USA, they can take on the best lineup the other 29 major league teams have to offer.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

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

Five years in the minor leagues after having attended college meant Lopes was 27 when he made his major league debut that September.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Lawes also invited major league baseball teams into prison to play against the Mutual Welfare League team, the Black Sheep.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

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.