Etymology From Middle English liege, ligg, lige (“a pact between governments, an agreement, alliance”), from Middle French ligue, from Italian lega, from the verb legare, from Latin ligō (“to tie”).
1
A group or association of cooperating members.
the League of Nations
And let there be / 'Twixt us and them no league, nor amity.1668, John Denham, The Passion of Dido for Aeneas:
2
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports An organization of sports teams which play against one another for a championship.
My favorite sports organizations are the National Football League and the American League in baseball.
He loved watching cricket leagues all around the world.
Etymology From Middle English liege, ligg, lige (“a pact between governments, an agreement, alliance”), from Middle French ligue, from Italian lega, from the verb legare, from Latin ligō (“to tie”).
1
Ambitransitive To form an association; to unite in a league or confederacy; to combine for mutual support.
Out of my sight, thou Serpent, that name best Befits thee with him leagu'd.1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
I believe that all the Bohemians and the great folks in Paris are so leagued together, that they are afraid of one another, and the people receive all the buffets of their disagreeings.1845, Bentley's Miscellany, volume 18, page 7:
league
adj
Etymology From Middle English liege, ligg, lige (“a pact between governments, an agreement, alliance”), from Middle French ligue, from Italian lega, from the verb legare, from Latin ligō (“to tie”).
1
Ball games, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Soccer, SportsUK Playing in the The Football League or the Premier League, the top four divisions of English football
Etymology From Middle English lege (“league”), from Late Latin leuca, leuga (“the Gaulish mile”), from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *lougā (compare Middle Breton leau, lew, Breton lev / leo (“league”)). Doublet of legua.
1
The distance that a person can walk in one hour, commonly taken to be approximately three English miles (about five kilometers).
Thenne kynge Mark and sir Dynadan rode forth a four leges englysshe tyl that they came to a brydge where houed a knyght on horsbak armed and redy to Iuste. "Then King Mark and Sir Dinadan rode forth a four leagues English, till that they came to a bridge where hoved a knight on horseback, armed and ready to joust."1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book X, Chapter 10:
Seven leagues above the mouth of the river we meet with two other passes, as large as the middle one by which we entered.1751-1753, Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz, History of Louisiana (PG), p. 47
3 more examples
To this time the Dutch had kept two garrisons in the North of Formosa, one of which was at Fort Kelang, taken from the Spaniards ; the other was at a place called Tamsui, about ten leagues to the westward of Kelang.1813, James Burney, A Chronological History of the Discoveries in the South Sea or Pacific Ocean, volume 3, London: Luke Hansard and Sons, page 257:
Half a league, half a league, / Half a league onward, / All in the valley of Death / Rode the six hundred.1855, Alfred Tennyson, “The Charge of the Light Brigade”, in Maud, and Other Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, stanza 1, page 151:
Above him, the sun gleamed gold and white. Before him, trackless wilderness extended for many leagues before lapping against the outbuildings of some village.2008, Christopher Paolini, “Rider and Ra'zac”, in Brisingr, page 70:
2
A stone erected near a public road to mark the distance of a league.