leagues
leagues — noun
1. a set of teams in a sport that compete against one another over a full season, w
a set of teams in a sport that compete against one another over a full season, with standings and a final champion decided at the end
Eric's son plays baseball for a team in the junior league on weekends.
junior league — age-based sports division
The basketball league has twelve teams from different cities across the region.
Our local football league starts its season every September with a big opening game.
The champion team moved up to a higher league after winning twenty straight matches.
The national hockey league draws millions of fans to stadiums every winter.
- division
a subdivision within a league; a league is the whole competition, a division is one tier
- conference
a group of teams within a larger league; e.g. the Eastern Conference
- championship
the final competition rather than the whole group of teams throughout a season
用法筆記
Can be used with the name of a sport (baseball league, football league) or a modifier (junior league, minor league).
2. the level or class of quality, skill, or ability that someone or something belon
the level or class of quality, skill, or ability that someone or something belongs to, especially when comparing them to others
The new smartphone is in a different league from the old one — much faster overall.
in a different league — far superior
When it comes to baking, Noa's cakes are in a league of their own.
Mauricio's guitar playing is not in the same league as the professional musicians.
This restaurant is in a completely different league from the fast-food places nearby.
In terms of customer service, the hotel is leagues ahead of its competitors.
文法句型
be in a different league
be in a league of one's own
not be in the same league
用法筆記
Almost always used in fixed phrases such as in a different league, in a league of one's own, or not in the same league.
常見錯誤
3. people who share the same hobbies, interests, or social objectives — a book club
people who share the same hobbies, interests, or social objectives — a book club, a chess circle, or a bird-watching society — and meet regularly to pursue those common aims
Ayana joined the local art league to take painting classes and meet other artists.
art league — hobby/interest group
The garden league meets every Saturday to plant flowers in the community park.
A league of concerned parents started an after-school program for neighborhood kids.
The city's women's league raised money to build a new children's hospital.
The local history league organizes walking tours of old buildings every spring.
- club
more casual and smaller; a league often has a wider membership or more organized activities
- society
can overlap, but society often implies a more formal structure with bylaws
- association
similar in meaning but association can be business-oriented; league is more about shared interests
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (NATIONS ALLIANCE): this sense refers to local civic or hobby groups, not political entities.
4. a formal association of independent countries or political groups that agree to
a formal association of independent countries or political groups that agree to work together for shared goals such as peace, trade, or defense
The League of Nations was created after the First World War to prevent future wars.
League of Nations — proper noun example
Five small countries formed a trade league to negotiate better prices for their exports.
The Arab League meets regularly to discuss issues that affect the member nations.
A defense league of neighboring states agreed to protect one another from attack.
The Hanseatic League was a powerful alliance of trading cities in medieval Europe.
- alliance
more general; a league implies a more structured and formal organization than a simple alliance
- confederation
a looser union of states that keep most of their independence; a league is typically tighter on common goals
- union
can refer to a league, but also to a merged political entity
用法筆記
Often capitalized in proper names of specific organizations, such as the Arab League or the League of Nations.
常見錯誤
5. a loose or unofficial group of people who band together for a temporary shared p
a loose or unofficial group of people who band together for a temporary shared purpose, without a formal structure or written rules
The three families formed a league to protect their land against outside threats.
formed a league — informal partnership
A league of local shopkeepers worked together to keep the market clean and safe.
The teachers formed a secret league to push for better classroom supplies.
After the flood, a league of volunteers organized food and shelter for displaced families.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (NATIONS ALLIANCE) and sense 3 (INTEREST GROUP): this sense describes looser, often temporary partnerships without formal structure.
6. an old unit for measuring distance at sea or on land, equal to roughly three mil
an old unit for measuring distance at sea or on land, equal to roughly three miles or 4.8 kilometers, used on maps and in stories from earlier centuries
The old map showed the treasure buried three leagues from the coast.
based on historical maps or old texts
The ship sailed eighteen leagues before sunrise, according to the captain's log.
Historians estimate the Roman army marched nearly five leagues each day.
The ancient road stretched for over a hundred leagues across the desert.
In the old sailor's notes, the island lay seven leagues north of the port.
7. a historical unit for measuring the area of land, equal to a square that is one
a historical unit for measuring the area of land, equal to a square that is one league wide on each side, or roughly 23 square miles
The nobleman's estate covered more than ten square leagues of farmland.
square league as land-area measure
In colonial times, a single land grant sometimes measured two square leagues.
The whole valley spread across barely one square league from end to end.
The treaty awarded the kingdom an additional five square leagues of territory.
用法筆記
This sense appears almost exclusively in historical or legal documents about land ownership.
leagues — verb
- leaguespresent simple I / you / we / they
- leagueses3rd person singular
- leaguesing-ing form
- leaguesedpast simple
1. to join with other people, groups, or countries to act together as a single orga
to join with other people, groups, or countries to act together as a single organized body for a shared purpose, either by becoming a member of an existing league or by combining to form a new one
The small villages leagued together to build a shared irrigation system for their farms.
league together — join as a group
Several environmental groups leagued to protest the new factory's pollution.
The two neighboring kingdoms leagued against the invading army from the north.
Independent writers leagued to create a publishing cooperative that shared printing costs.
The local shopkeepers leagued with the farmers' market to sell their produce together.
- ally
more common; league suggests a more formal joining
- unite
broader meaning; league specifically implies forming an organized body
- band together
informal equivalent with similar meaning
文法句型
league together
league with someone
用法筆記
Now relatively uncommon in everyday speech; more typical in historical or formal writing. The passive form (be leagued with) is more frequent than the active form.
leagues — idiom
1. used after an adjective or adverb to emphasize that someone or something is far
used after an adjective or adverb to emphasize that someone or something is far better, more advanced, or at a much higher level than another person or thing
Eri's latest novel is leagues ahead of her previous work — the writing is much richer.
leagues ahead of — far more advanced
The new express train is leagues faster than the old one that took all day.
When it comes to programming, Vivek is leagues beyond anyone else in the class.
Even though both shops sell bread, the quality at the small bakery is leagues better.
Rania's English speaking is leagues ahead of where it was just six months ago.
文法句型
leagues ahead of
leagues better than
leagues apart
leagues beyond
用法筆記
Always used as a modifier of adjectives or adverbs (leagues better, leagues ahead, leagues apart). Cannot be used alone: ❌ This is leagues. ✅ This is leagues better.