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.
DR Congo, the last African nation to qualify through the inter-confederation play-offs, has 24 players in Europe - though only 11 in a major league.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
The Toronto Blue Jays had cut him, and he would be joining his seventh major league organization.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026
Dating to Yamamoto’s previous start, against the Angels, he retired 45 straight batters, one shy of the major league record set by Yusmeiro Petit in 2014.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026
Justin Wrobleski gives up one hit over seven innings and strikes out nine in the best start of his major league career in the Dodgers’ 4-2 win.
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
During an eight-year career playing for seven major league teams, he became known as one of the greatest base stealers the game had yet seen.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
