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.
Here’s a new one: If minor league baseball is all about affordability, how do you compete against a nearby major league team that might undercut you on pricing?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Of the four starting pitchers they would plan to use in the postseason — Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Ohtani — Yamamoto is the only one pitching major league innings right now.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
Their current backup, Eliezer Alfonso, made his major league debut in his ninth professional season; he is hitless in nine at-bats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
While every major league adopted VAR in the name of tyrannical accuracy, fans of Sweden’s top division mounted a resistance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
His championship playing didn't just get him into the major league; it got him the Most Valuable Player award in 1949 and had proved him to be an All-Star player for the last five years.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
It is the best Sasaki has pitched in his major-league career, a frightening proposition for the rest of the sport as the Dodgers pursue their third straight championship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
“There are a lot of major-league players in this league,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Obviously he has gone through a lot so it was good to get that first major-league hit here. Behind the plate, he’s been great.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
While football - or soccer - is Canada's most-played sport, its commercial success is overshadowed by the nation's love affair with ice hockey and the popularity of major-league baseball and basketball franchises.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
There were major-league stakes: intellectual and scientific, financial, and, less often discussed, military.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
