major league
major league — noun
1. the highest level of professional team sports in the United States, made up of t
the highest level of professional team sports in the United States, made up of the top clubs whose players are paid the most and compete for the national championship; most often used for baseball, but also for basketball, football, and hockey.
Tara dreamed of playing in the major leagues ever since she was a child.
in the major leagues — set phrase for highest level
The team finally made it to the major leagues after winning the minor league championship.
contrast: major leagues vs minor league
Major league teams spend millions of dollars on player salaries every season.
Nora bought tickets to her first major league baseball game in New York.
Only the best players get a chance to compete in the major leagues.
- big leagues
informal synonym for the top level in sports or any field
- pro league
more general — any professional league, not necessarily the top one
- minor league
the lower level of professional sports, often a development system for major league teams
文法句型
the major leagues
in the major leagues
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'major leagues' even when referring to the system as a whole. The singular is more common when used as a modifier before a noun ('major league baseball').
常見錯誤
major league — adjective
1. belonging to or connected with the top professional sports league in the United
belonging to or connected with the top professional sports league in the United States, especially baseball.
Dewi bought season tickets for the new major league baseball team in her city.
major league baseball — common collocation
The stadium was built to major league standards with modern facilities.
Hyun collects signed baseballs from major league players.
The major league season runs from early spring to late autumn each year.
Tariq watched a major league game on television every Saturday afternoon.
- big-league
informal equivalent, interchangeable in most contexts
- minor league
relating to the lower-level professional sports system
文法句型
major league + noun
用法筆記
Used only before a noun — you cannot say 'this team is major league' in the sports sense (though that construction is possible in the informal 'very important' sense below).
2. extremely important, powerful, or impressive in a general context — not limited
extremely important, powerful, or impressive in a general context — not limited to sports; used to describe something that is on a very large or serious scale.
Getting that promotion was a major league boost to Mira's confidence.
figurative use: major league + [abstract noun]
The Okonkwo family threw a major league party for their grandmother's birthday.
Imani made a major league mistake by sending the email to the wrong client.
Zayd's new job came with a major league salary and excellent benefits.
The storm caused major league damage across the whole coastal region.
- small-time
informal opposite, meaning insignificant or low-level
- minor
neutral opposite, meaning not serious or important
文法句型
major league + noun (non-sports)
用法筆記
This meaning is informal and figurative — it extends the sports term to any area of life. Avoid using it in formal writing or business documents. The phrase appears only before a noun ('a major league problem'), not after a linking verb.