major league
noun
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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major league
1 American
[mey-jer leeg]
/ ˈmeɪ dʒər ˈlig /
noun
-
major leagues
plural
-
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.
major-league
2
American
[mey-jer-leeg]
/ ˈmeɪ dʒərˈlig /
adjective
-
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.
major league
British
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
The Angels rank 26th among the 30 major league teams in runs scored, so Mozeliak might well focus on offensive upgrades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
In San Diego, however, where ticket sales represent the largest source of team revenue, the Padres sell more tickets than any major league team besides the Dodgers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
I asked Walter why he believed it made business sense to pay three times as much as any major league team had sold for.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Thirteen years later, Bauers has a beard, tattoos and is in his seventh major league season as the first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 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
It had been three months since he’d last started a major-league game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Mozeliak imported nine prospects, only one of which will report to the major-league team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
The Dodgers pulled off the trade without disrupting their major-league squad.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
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
I dug through old copies of Sports Illustrated to look for pictures of major-league ballparks’ outfields so that I could study the patterns the grounds crews left behind in the nap of the grass.
From "Lawn Boy" by Gary Paulsen
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.
