What does "league" mean?
A group or association of cooperating members.
League
/liːɡ/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A group or association of cooperating members.
- Grammar: league is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: accouple, accumulate, achaea, act in concert.
- Useful contrasts: non-league, disband, disorganization.
- Usage evidence: The manager has put him back in the major league.
How to use "league"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "league" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "league" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "league" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "league" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "league" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accouple" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "league", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A group or association of cooperating members. countable, uncountable
"the League of Nations"
- 2 The distance that a person can walk in one hour, commonly taken to be approximately three English miles (about five kilometers).
"Thenne kynge Mark and sir Dynadan rode forth a four leges englysshe tyl that they came to a brydge where houed a knyght on horsbak armed and redy to Iuste. "Then King Mark and Sir Dinadan rode forth a four leagues English, till that they came to a bridge where hoved a knight on horseback, armed and ready to joust.""
- 3 an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members wordnet
- 4 An organization of sports teams which play against one another for a championship. countable, uncountable
"My favorite sports organizations are the National Football League and the American League in baseball."
- 5 A stone erected near a public road to mark the distance of a league.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 an association of states or organizations or individuals for common action wordnet
- 7 Ellipsis of rugby league. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, informal, uncountable
"Are you going to watch the league tonight?"
- 8 an obsolete unit of distance of variable length (usually 3 miles) wordnet
- 9 A class or type of people or things that are evenly matched or on the same level. countable, uncountable
"Forget about dating him; he's out of your league."
- 10 A prefecture-level administrative unit in Inner Mongolia (Chinese: 盟). countable, uncountable
- 11 An alliance or coalition. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To form an association; to unite in a league or confederacy; to combine for mutual support. ambitransitive
"Out of my sight, thou Serpent, that name best Befits thee with him leagu'd."
- 2 unite to form a league wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Playing in the The Football League or the Premier League, the top four divisions of English football British, not-comparable
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 Ellipsis of League of Nations. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"The League was hampered by the U.S.'s refusal to join and its member states' unwillingness to impose sanctions on foreign countries."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The manager has put him back in the major league."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "league"?
Common synonyms include: accouple, accumulate, achaea, act in concert, act together, addition.
How do you use "league" in a sentence?
The manager has put him back in the major league.
How do you pronounce "league"?
Pronounced /liːɡ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English liege, ligg, lige (“a pact between governments, an agreement, alliance”), from Middle French ligue, from Italian lega, from the verb legare, from Latin ligō (“I tie”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English lege (“league”), from Late Latin leuca, leuga (“the Gaulish mile”), from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *lougā (compare Middle Breton leau, lew, Breton lev / leo (“league”)). Doublet of legua.
Etymology 3
English surname, perhaps a spelling variant of Leake.
Etymology 4
Ellipsis.