league

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: any of various units of distance from about 2.4 to 4.6 statute miles (3.9 to 7.4 kilometers)
2
: a square league

league

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
a
: an association of nations or other political entities for a common purpose
the League of Nations
the League of Voters
b(1)
: an association of persons or groups united by common interests or goals
He organized a bowling league.
(2)
: a group of sports teams that regularly play one another
the National Football League
c
: an informal alliance
in league with her sister
2
: class, category
When I played chess with George, I knew I was out of my league.

league

3 of 3

verb

leagued; leaguing

transitive verb

: to unite in a league

intransitive verb

: to form a league

Example Sentences

Verb the whole block leagued together to keep a liquor store from opening in their neighborhood some unlikely political bedfellows leagued together to get the bill passed
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Tigers option Will Vest to Triple-A Toledo, send Andy Ibañez to minor-league camp INJURY UPDATES:Tigers' Michael Lorenzen to miss beginning of season with left groin strain Maton went 2-for-2 with two walks and a solo home run in the sixth inning. Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 25 Mar. 2023 The other catcher is likely to be Joey Bart, who has had a solid camp, going 6-for-25 (.240) with four walks and eight strikeouts, and who spent the majority of last season with the big-league team. Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2023 But the finale Tuesday against the White Sox at Sloan Park will be filled with minor-league players, meaning only three games really remain to work out the kinks. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2023 The Brewers will attempt to find a trade for Hiura, who is out of minor-league options, in the following days. Journal Sentinel, 24 Mar. 2023 Overton has pitched 48 innings in the majors and Cessa has been used primarily as a reliever in his big-league career. Bobby Nightengale, The Enquirer, 24 Mar. 2023 Ryan Sherriff, Boston Red Sox, relief pitcher: Sherriff has four years of big-league experience under his belt with the Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays. Jacob Gurvis, Sun Sentinel, 24 Mar. 2023 Kosner said the return of UConn to the league in 2020 also bodes well for future rights negotiations. Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023 Ohtani, who had never appeared in relief in a major-league game, last doing it in 2016 in Japan, went back and forth three times from the bench to the bullpen. Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'league.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English leuge, lege, from Late Latin leuga

Noun (2) and Verb

Middle English (Scots) ligg, from Middle French ligue, from Old Italian liga, from ligare to bind, from Latin — more at ligature

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1604, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of league was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near league

Cite this Entry

“League.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/league. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

league

1 of 2 noun
: any of various units of distance from about 2.4 to 4.6 statute miles (3.9 to 7.4 kilometers)

league

2 of 2 noun
1
: an association or alliance of nations
2
: an association of persons or groups united for common interests or goals
a softball league
league verb

More from Merriam-Webster on league

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Which Came First?

  • baby chick with a brown egg
  • hot take or cold shoulder?
Spell It

Hear a word and type it out. How many can you get right?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY