an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members
"The entire league celebrated when their team finally won the championship game last night."
an association of states or organizations or individuals for common action
"The new environmental league brought together dozens of countries to coordinate their efforts against climate change."
an obsolete unit of distance of variable length (usually 3 miles)
"The old map measured the journey from London to York in leagues, a rough estimate that varied depending on which path travelers took."
A group or association of cooperating members.
"The hikers were surprised when their guide claimed they had covered a full league of ground before stopping for lunch."
The distance that a person can walk in one hour, commonly taken to be approximately three English miles (about five kilometers).
In plain English: A league is an old-fashioned unit of distance that used to be about 3 miles.
"The basketball team won their league championship last year."
Usage: Use "league" as a noun to refer to an old unit of distance roughly equal to three miles or the length of a standard walking hour. In modern usage, this meaning is largely historical and replaced by standard measurements like miles or kilometers.
unite to form a league
"After years of competing against each other, the three small towns united to form a league to better protect their shared water supply."
To form an association; to unite in a league or confederacy; to combine for mutual support.
"The rival gangs agreed to lay down their arms and league together to protect the neighborhood from outside threats."
In plain English: To league means to join forces with others to work toward a common goal.
"The new company quickly leagued with other startups to dominate the local market."
Usage: As a verb, to league means to join forces with others to achieve a common goal or mutual benefit. Use it when describing groups uniting specifically for strategic advantage rather than general cooperation.
A surname.
"The new manager, Mr. League, surprised everyone by turning around the struggling team in just six months."
The word "league" comes from the Latin verb ligō, meaning "to tie," which traveled through Italian and French into English. Originally referring to a pact or alliance between governments, it retained this sense of binding together in its modern usage.