major league

noun

1

: a league of highest classification in U.S. professional baseball

broadly : a league of major importance in any of various sports

2

: big time sense 2

major-league

ˈmā-jər-ˈlēg 

adjective

major leaguer noun

Synonyms of major league

• big(s)
• big time

Examples of major league in a Sentence

when you've landed a tenure-track position at that university, you're playing in the major leagues

Recent Examples on the Web

Sugano went 10-10 as a rookie last season for the Orioles and collected his first major league win on April 5, beating Wacha and the Royals 8-1 in Kansas City. — ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026

Perkins didn’t make his major league debut until 2023, with the Brewers. — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Jones has actually looked comfortable most days since his second major league call-up on June 5. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026

Combined with the popularity of the NHL’s Golden Knights, Harbinger believes the Athletics have similar upside as the city’s newest major league team. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for major league

• chincoteague
• blitzkrieg
• fatigue
• intrigue
• muskeg

Kids Definition

major league

noun

: a league in the highest class of U.S. professional sports