/ liːg; NAmE / noun
1.
a group of sports teams who all play each other to earn points and find which team is best :
major-league baseball
United were league champions last season.
—see also minor-league
2.
( informal ) a level of quality, ability, etc. :
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) .
3.
a group of people or nations who have combined for a particular purpose
SYN alliance :
the League of Nations
a meeting of the Women's League for Peace
—see also Ivy League
4.
( old use ) a unit for measuring distance, equal to about 3 miles or 4 000 metres
•
IDIOMS
- in league (with sb)
••
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 .
sense 4 late Middle English : from late Latin leuga , leuca , late Greek leugē , or from Provençal lega ( modern French lieue ).