Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An association of states, organizations, or individuals for common action; an alliance.
- n. Sports An association of teams or clubs that compete chiefly among themselves. Also called loop1.
- n. A class or level of competition: The ski jump was out of his league.
- v. To come together in or as if in a league.
- v. To bring together in or as if in a league.
- n. A unit of distance equal to 3.0 statute miles (4.8 kilometers).
- n. Any of various other units of about the same length.
- n. A square league.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A compact or covenant between persons for the maintenance of joint interests or mutual service; hence, union; close affinity; friendship.
- n. Specifically A political or military confederation; a covenanted alliance or coalition, as of persons or parties in a state, or more commonly of the ruling powers of different states, for the promotion of common objects or interests; a compact for mutual aid and support in public policy or war: as, the Hanseatic League; the Holy League in France; the league of Schmalkald.
- n. A combination of different associations or bodies of persons for the promotion of common purposes: as, a base-ball league.
- n. Synonyms Confederacy, Coalition, etc. (see alliance), society, federation, association, fraternity.
- To form a league; join in friendship or interest; combine for mutual support; confederate.
- To combine; band; confederate.
- n. An itinerary unit not now in English use, except as a marine league. (See below.) The league as a unit of length originated in ancient Gaul, where it was equal to 1½, Roman miles, or 1.4 statute miles, improperly termed the Gallic mile. Afterward it was 2,000 paces, and in the middle ages it was in England 2 miles, or nearly 3 statute miles. It is a conventional, not a legal measure. A land-league is sometimes said to be 3 statute miles. The common league of France was 2.764 statute miles; the French posting-league was 2.422 statute miles; the Spanish league was 4.214 statute miles; the Spanish judicial league was 2.634 statute miles; the Flanders league was 3.9 statute miles; the Brabant league was the marine league. The league is still in use in parts of the United States acquired from Mexico, where it is held to be about 2.63 English miles, and a square league 4,428.4 acres. The league is much used in South America. In the greater part of the Argentine Republic, as in Uruguay before 1864, it is equal to 6,000 varas, which, however, are of different lengths in different provinces; and the so-called Argentine league of 5,000 varas exists only in Santiago Del Estero. The postal league, however, varies from 4,000 to 5,000 varas; and in Tucuman the league is sometimes 4,980, sometimes 3,320 varas. The old league of Cuba was 4,906 varas. In Buenos Ayres the league is 5,200 meters, in Rioja 5,035.20 meters, in Colombia 5,000 meters, in Chili 4,513.892 meters, and in Paraguay 4,193 meters.
Wiktionary
- n. measurement The distance that a person can walk in one hour, commonly taken to be approximately three English miles (about five kilometers).
- n. A group or association of cooperating members.
- n. An organization of sports teams which play against one another for a championship.
- v. To form an association.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A measure of length or distance, varying in different countries from about 2.4 to 4.6 English statute miles of 5,280 feet each, and used (as a land measure) chiefly on the continent of Europe, and in the Spanish parts of America. The
marine league of England and the United States is equal to three marine, or geographical, miles of 6080 feet each. - n. obsolete A stone erected near a public road to mark the distance of a league.
- n. An alliance or combination of two or more nations, parties, organizations, or persons, for the accomplishment of a purpose which requires a continued course of action, as for mutual defense, or for furtherance of commercial, religious, or political interests, etc.
- n. (Sports) An association of sports teams that establishes rules of play, decides questions of membership in the league, and organizes matches between the member teams. In some cases a sports league is called a
conference , as in the National Football Conference. - v. To unite in a league or confederacy; to combine for mutual support; to confederate.
- v. To join in a league; to cause to combine for a joint purpose; to combine; to unite.
WordNet 3.0
- n. an association of states or organizations or individuals for common action
- v. unite to form a league
- n. an obsolete unit of distance of variable length (usually 3 miles)
- n. an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members
Etymologies
- Middle English ligg, from Middle French ligue, from Italian lega, from the verb legare, from Latin ligō ("to tie"). (Wiktionary)
- Alteration (influenced by Italian lega) of Middle English liege, from Old French ligue, from Medieval Latin liga and from Old Italian lega, liga (from legare, to bind), both from Latin ligāre, to bind.Middle English lege, from Old French liue, leguee, from Latin leuga, a measure of distance, of Gaulish origin. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Not until the fall of 1918 did Wilson start using the word league himself.”
“(Long) was available, and the left tackle in this league is a premium.”
Keepers of the blind side: Left tackles the new money position
“The tackle was available, and the left tackle in this league is a premium.”
“You want to feel like your league is the better league.”
“NFL spokesman Greg Aiello has said the league is aware of Santini's lawsuit and is following developments, but has no further comment.”
Saints coach Sean Payton deflects lawsuit questions at rookie camp
“An NBA spokesman said that the league is also reviewing the comments.”
“I've heard [Mike] Golic talk about [how] our league is awful about tackles.”
The Washington Post: NFL's crackdown on hits should emphasize fundamentals, Hoge says
“Secondly, if the league is a public accommodation, is the desire to keep the league a safe place for gays to socialize covered by “expressive association”?”
The Volokh Conspiracy » Enough with the Ridiculous Hyperbole!
“Secondly, if the league is a public accomodation, is the desire to keep the league a safe place for gays to socialize covered by “expressive association”?”
The Volokh Conspiracy » Enough with the Ridiculous Hyperbole!
“If the league is alive and kicking, the city will still be collecting a 7% ticket tax.”
New pitch for Paulson: No new stadium, no summer sports at all (Jack Bog's Blog)
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘league’.
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EN - archaic words
abide, abjure, abroad, adamant, afield, aforetime, aghast, anon, apace, argent, assuage, aught and 328 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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Groups
Words synonymous with 'group.'
congregation, crowd, gaggle, flock, clique, bunch, cluster, herd, mass, mob, multitude, organization and 118 more...
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Steampunk
Words used quite often in steampunk
ansible, airship, chymical, valve, clockwork, dirigible, thaumaturgy, copper, bronze, difference engine, gear, rivets and 516 more...
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Tolkien's archaisms
sigaldry, moot, kine, fey, eyot, ghylls, gangrel, glede, ilexes, laved, niggard, league and 44 more...
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Test words
vacation, tourist, tourist office, travel, read, newspaper, book, magazine, television, music, radio, nightclub and 68 more...
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Congregation
Clusters, gatherings, and groups of humans.
alliance, circle, council, federation, fraternity, league, assembly, company, group, flock, crowd, mob and 99 more...
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Basic English Vocabulary
Very basic words for ESL students.
a, abandon, ability, able, abortion, about, above, abroad, absence, absolute, absolutely, absorb and 4334 more...
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Gil Blas
Interesting words and usages from Smollett's 1749 translation of Lesage's L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane
reck, durance, rhodomontade, hangdog, trap, lustre, pin, boggle, dandle, birthday suit, colic, gripes and 238 more...
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Sat Vocabulary List
abandon, abash, abate, abjure, ablution, abnegate, abominable, aboriginal, abortive, abrade, abridge, abrogate and 2155 more...
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Groups and Organizations
association, chamber, committee, conclave, consilium, convocation, court, fellowship, guild, institute, league, lodge and 4 more...
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Cool Words
Words that are awesome to use, if you can find a good place in a sentence to use them!
asunder, zero, scarecrow, chronic, crooked, aftermath, aquatic, karma, deadpan, devil, berserker, bibliotaph and 32 more...
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Measurement Terms
(From any culture!)
pinch, dash, gallon, pint, quart, inch, foot, meter, yard, kilogram, decimeter, centimeter and 13 more...
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measure up
avoirdupois, réaumur, fathom, league, furlong, decare, hectare, cubit, drachm, bushel, shekel, quintal and 16 more...
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SAT PSAT ALPHABETICAL L
labyrinthine, lacerate, lachrymose, lackadaisical, lackey, laconic, lacteal, laggard, laggardly, laissez faire, laity, lambaste and 44 more...
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The macabre dough
A selection of English words ending with two or more letters that are NOT pronounced.
Evil twin of The braggadocio recipe.macabre, dough, though, weigh, programme, plough, giraffe, sleigh, adventure, league, tongue, opaque and 11 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for league.

abrimmer League, in its meaning of an association, is derived from Latin ligo, ligare, to bind, as in people bound together.
League, as a measure of distance, is derived from medieval Latin, leuga Apr 11, 2009
yarb League your fortunes with those of a man who would follow you in prosperity or in adversity through the world.
- Lesage, The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, tr. Smollett, bk 7 ch. 7 Sep 30, 2008