League Season Liːɡ Team Win Extra Examples Noun

• castleford have led the league for most of the season.
• we must do better if we are to win the league again this season.
• a league match/game
• they missed an opportunity to clinch the league title at the weekend.

league

1. a group of sports teams who all play each other to earn points and find which team is best
• SEE ALSO big league
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/big-league_1
• Castleford have led the league for most of the season.
• We must do better if we are to win the league again this season.
• a league match/game
• They missed an opportunity to clinch the league title at the weekend.
• The league leaders scored 3 goals in the last five minutes.
• United were league champions last season.
• the best team in the league
• Their 3–0 win was enough to put them at the top of the league.
• Bristol were at the bottom of the league.

Extra Examples

• He played Sunday League cricket for years.
• He set a league record for the longest touchdown run.
• Hopefully he'll get called up to the big leagues soon.
• The Yankees dominated the league in 1998.
• The team joined the Northern League last year.
• They want to start a new football league.
• They're hoping to improve their position in the league.
• new proposals for a European super league
• the first women's professional athletic league in the US
• the standard for professional sports leagues in this country
• players for a team in a fantasy league
• They face a league club in the next round.
2. a level of quality, ability, etc.
• SEE ALSO bush-league
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/bush-league
• As a painter, he is in a league of his own (= much better than others).
• They're in a different league from us.
• When it comes to cooking, I'm not in her league (= she is much better than me).
• A house like that is out of our league (= too expensive for us).

Extra Examples

• Today's technology is in a different league.
• This move propelled him into the political big league.
3. a group of people or nations who have combined for a particular purpose
• SYNONYM alliance
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/alliance
• the League of Nations
• a meeting of the Women’s League for Peace

Extra Examples

• the countries in the Arab League
• the League for Prison Reform
4. a unit for measuring distance, equal to about 3 miles or 4 000 metres
5. making secret plans with somebody
• Those two crooks seem to be in league with each other.

Word Origin

• senses 1 to 3 late Middle English (denoting a compact for mutual protection or advantage): via French from Italian lega, from legare ‘to bind’, from Latin ligare.