league

league — noun

1. An organised set of sports clubs that compete against each other during a fixed

1.nounB1
Definition

An organised set of sports clubs that compete against each other during a fixed season to decide on the champion.

Example

Our school basketball team finished at the top of the league this year.

collocation: top of the league

The baseball league has twelve teams from different cities across the country.

Common collocations
  • league table
  • league title
  • league championship
  • league season
  • top of the league
  • bottom of the league
  • football league
  • baseball league
Synonyms
  • division

    refers to a subgroup within a larger league, often by skill level

  • conference

    used mainly in North American sports for a regional group of teams

  • association

    a broader term; an association may organise a league but is not the competition itself

Grammar Patterns

the + league

league + noun

Usage Note

Common before nouns such as 'championship', 'title', 'season', 'table', and 'match'. The phrase 'top of the league' is a frequent collocation.

Common Mistakes

The baseball union has twelve teams.
The baseball league has twelve teams.
'union' is for workers or labour organisations; 'league' is for sports teams competing together.
He plays in a league tennis.
He plays in a tennis league.
The sport name comes before 'league', not after it.

2. Any organisation of people, nations, or businesses that combine their efforts to

2.nounB1
Definition

Any organisation of people, nations, or businesses that combine their efforts to pursue a common aim, for instance protecting shared interests or reaching an agreed objective.

Example

Several countries formed a league to protect the shared ocean waters.

pattern: league + to-infinitive (goal)

The league of local businesses worked together to improve the town centre.

collocation: league of [group]

Common collocations
  • league of nations
  • league of ...
  • form a league
  • join a league
Synonyms
  • alliance

    more common for formal agreements between countries or political groups

  • union

    suggests a closer or more permanent joining, often with a formal structure

  • coalition

    a temporary alliance, often political, formed for a specific purpose

  • confederation

    a formal union of states or organisations that keep most of their independence

Grammar Patterns

league of + noun

league + to-infinitive

Common Mistakes

The trade league negotiated better wages.
The trade union negotiated better wages.
'league' is for people with a shared interest or goal; 'union' specifically refers to workers' organisations.

3. A particular level of quality, skill, or achievement that shows how good someone

3.nounB1
Definition

A particular level of quality, skill, or achievement that shows how good someone or something is when compared to others.

Example

Brian's guitar playing is in a different league from most beginners.

phrase: in a different league from

This luxury hotel is in the same league as the best hotels in Paris.

phrase: in the same league as

Common collocations
  • different league
  • same league
  • league of one's own
  • league above
  • professional league
Synonyms
  • class

    similar meaning, used in 'in a class of its own'; slightly more formal

  • tier

    common in structured rankings (e.g. first-tier, second-tier)

  • category

    a more neutral word for a group defined by shared features, not quality

  • level

    the most general word; 'level' can be measured, while 'league' is only comparative

Grammar Patterns

in the same league as

in a different league

in a league of one's own

Usage Note

Nearly always appears in fixed comparative phrases: 'in a different league', 'in the same league', and 'in a league of one's own'. The 'league' here does NOT refer to sports; it is a metaphor for a category or tier.

Common Mistakes

He is in the same league than his brother.
He is in the same league as his brother.
Use 'as' after 'the same', not 'than'.
His cooking is in another league of its own.
His cooking is in a league of its own.
The fixed expression uses 'a', not 'another'.

4. An old way of measuring how far something is, roughly three miles or five kilome

4.nounC1
Definition

An old way of measuring how far something is, roughly three miles or five kilometres, found mainly in historical texts and traditional tales of sea travel or long journeys on land.

Example

The sailors travelled twenty leagues across the open sea in three days.

pattern: number + leagues

In the old story, the knight walked a hundred leagues to rescue the princess.

Common collocations
  • ten leagues
  • a hundred leagues
  • twenty leagues
  • leagues away
  • leagues across
Synonyms
  • mile

    the modern equivalent; 1 league ≈ 3 miles

  • kilometre

    the metric equivalent; 1 league ≈ 5 km

Grammar Patterns

number + league(s)

Usage Note

This historical measure is no longer used in modern navigation or everyday life. Learners will most often encounter it in classic novels, historical texts, and old maps.

Idioms

in league (with someone)

idiom

Working together secretly with another person or group, usually to do something dishonest or wrong.

The security guard was in league with the thieves who robbed the jewellery shop.

Many people believed that the mayor was in league with local property developers.

in league (with somebody)

idiom

Working together secretly with someone, often for a bad purpose.

The police discovered that the mayor was in league with local gangsters.

Are you in league with the other team to cheat in the game?

league — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

All four words describe a category on a scale of quality or ability, but they differ in usage. 'Level' is the most general word and works for any measurable scale (a beginner level, a high level of skill). 'Class' often suggests a group defined by a standard of quality, as in 'first-class service' or 'business class'; it has a stronger sense of social or service tier. 'Tier' is common in structured systems with clear divisions, such as 'a three-tier pay system' or 'top-tier universities'. 'Rank' refers to an official position in a hierarchy (military rank, academic rank) and implies a formal ordering. 'League', by contrast, is always comparative: you say someone is 'in a different league' or 'in the same league as' another person, making it a metaphor for a relative standing rather than an absolute position. For example, 'A local café is not in the same league as a Michelin-starred restaurant' shows that league highlights a gap in quality, while 'level' would simply state the difference.

class ↗tier ↗level ↗rank ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • in a different league
  • in the same league
  • in a league of one's own
  • top of the league
  • bottom of the league

Prepositions

  • in
  • out of (rare)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'league' entered English from Old French 'ligue', which came from Italian 'liga' (meaning 'a binding together'), ultimately from Latin 'ligare' meaning 'to tie or bind'. The sports and alliance senses share this root — they describe people or teams bound together. The distance unit is a separate word entirely: it comes from Late Latin 'leuca' or 'leuga', a Celtic unit of distance used in Gaul (modern-day France). These two originally different words later merged into the same spelling in English, giving 'league' its two distinct meaning families.