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
Between 2020 and 2025, Dodger Stadium had more home runs than any other major league park, although this year’s total is lagging behind last year’s pace.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
Rookie Ryan Ward, in his fourth major league game, made the sliding catch.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
He never stepped on a major league field again.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
The cutoff date for almost all nonschool baseball leagues in the United States is July 31, with the result that more major league players are born in August than in any other month.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
