leagues

IPA/lˈiːɡz/
KK[lˈiɡz]IPA/lˈiːɡz/

leagues — noun

1. a set of teams in a sport that compete against one another over a full season, w

1.nounA2
Definition

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

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • baseball league
  • football league
  • junior league
  • minor league
  • major league
  • win the league
  • top of the league
Synonyms
  • 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

Usage Note

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

2.nounB1
Definition

the level or class of quality, skill, or ability that someone or something belongs to, especially when comparing them to others

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • in a different league
  • in a league of one's own
  • not in the same league
  • leagues ahead
  • leagues above
Synonyms
  • class

    as in first-class or class apart; similar meaning but class is more general

  • level

    more neutral; league implies a stronger sense of superiority or inferiority

  • category

    focuses on grouping rather than ranking

Grammar Patterns

be in a different league

be in a league of one's own

not be in the same league

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

She is in league of her own.
She is in a league of her own.
The article a is required before league.

3. people who share the same hobbies, interests, or social objectives — a book club

3.nounB1
Definition

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

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • join a league
  • local league
  • women's league
  • art league
  • history league
Synonyms
  • 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

Usage Note

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

4.nounB2
Definition

a formal association of independent countries or political groups that agree to work together for shared goals such as peace, trade, or defense

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • form a league
  • join a league
  • trade league
  • defense league
  • member of the league
Synonyms
  • 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

Usage Note

Often capitalized in proper names of specific organizations, such as the Arab League or the League of Nations.

Common Mistakes

The countries formed a league to make friends.
The countries formed a league to pursue shared economic and security goals.
A league of nations implies formal cooperation with specific purposes, not casual friendship.

5. a loose or unofficial group of people who band together for a temporary shared p

5.nounB2
Definition

a loose or unofficial group of people who band together for a temporary shared purpose, without a formal structure or written rules

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • form a league
  • secret league
  • league of volunteers
  • league of friends
Synonyms
  • coalition

    often temporary like an informal league, but coalition carries a more political meaning

  • alliance

    broadly similar; informal league emphasizes less structure than an alliance

  • pact

    focuses on the agreement itself rather than the group of people

Usage Note

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

6.nounB2
Definition

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

Example

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.

7. a historical unit for measuring the area of land, equal to a square that is one

7.nounB2
Definition

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

Example

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.

Usage Note

This sense appears almost exclusively in historical or legal documents about land ownership.

leagues — verb

leagues — idiom

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words refer to a position within a ranking system, but they differ in how they are used. Class often implies a social or quality-based grouping, as in "first-class service" or "tourist class." Level is more neutral and can apply to skill, difficulty, or achievement — "a high level of fitness" or "beginner level." Category groups things by type rather than rank, as in "wines fall into several categories." Tier suggests stacked layers, like "the top tier of universities" or "a three-tiered system." League is distinct because it is almost always used in comparative phrases such as "in a different league" or "not in the same league," implying a large gap between the compared items. For example: "The local band is good, but the professional orchestra is in a completely different league" — here league conveys a stronger separation than level or class would.

class ↗level ↗category ↗tier ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • league of nations
  • league of friends
  • in a league of one's own
  • not in the same league
  • leagues ahead
  • form a league
  • join a league

Prepositions

  • in a league
  • into a league
  • out of a league
  • league with

Etymology

GaulishLate LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word league entered English around the 14th century from Old French ligue, which came from Italian lega and ultimately from Latin ligare, meaning 'to bind or tie together.' The distance-measurement sense has a separate origin: it comes from Late Latin leuga, a Gaulish word for a unit of distance used in Roman Gaul. By the 1500s, league had acquired both meanings — the binding of people into groups and a measure of how far those groups might travel. The idiomatic use meaning 'much better' developed from the distance sense: if one thing is leagues ahead, it is figuratively many leagues farther along.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun (2)