league
n. countablen. a group of sports teams or people who compete against each other. It can also mean a level of quality or skill, like when someone is much better than you.
n. an association of persons or groups, such as sports teams, that compete against one another according to a specific schedule. Often used figuratively to denote a level of quality, ability, or social standing.
Our local football team is at the top of the league.
After winning every game this season, the team was promoted to a more competitive professional league.
The diplomat argued that the small nation was punching above its weight, competing in a diplomatic league usually reserved for global superpowers.
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 (“I tie”).
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.
Commonly used in the idiom 'out of someone's league' to describe someone or something too good for a person to obtain.