{
    "term": "league",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a group of sports teams who all play each other to earn points and find which team is best",
            "sensetop": "in a league",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Castleford have **led the league** for most of the season."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We must do better if we are to **win the league** again this season."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a **league match/game**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They missed an opportunity to clinch the **league title** at the weekend."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The **league leaders** scored 3 goals in the last five minutes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "United were league champions last season."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the best team in the league",
                    "contextForm": "in a league"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Their 3–0 win was enough to put them at the **top of the league**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Bristol were at the **bottom of the league**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He played Sunday League cricket for years."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He set a league record for the longest touchdown run."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The Yankees dominated the league that year."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The team joined the Northern League last year."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They want to start a new football league."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They're hoping to improve their position in the league."
                },
                {
                    "text": "new proposals for a European super league"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the first women's professional athletic league in the US"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the standard for professional sports leagues in this country"
                },
                {
                    "text": "players for a team in a fantasy league"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They face a league club in the next round."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Sports: ball and racket sports"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["basketball", "cricket", "football"],
                "verb + league": ["create", "form", "set up"],
                "league + noun": ["champions", "leaders", "championship"],
                "preposition": ["in a/​the league"],
                "phrases": [
                    "at the bottom of the league",
                    "at the top of the league",
                    "come bottom of the league"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a level of quality, ability, etc.",
            "sensetop": "in a leaguenot in somebody's leagueout of somebody's league",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "As a painter, he is **in a league of his own** *(= much better than others)*.",
                    "contextForm": "in a league"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They're **in a different league** from us."
                },
                {
                    "text": "When it comes to cooking, I'm not in her league *(= she is much better than me)*.",
                    "contextForm": "not in somebody's league"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A house like that is out of our league *(= too expensive for us)*.",
                    "contextForm": "out of somebody's league"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Today's technology is in a different league."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The car's size, price and power put it in another league."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["big", "super", "top"],
                "phrases": [
                    "in a different league",
                    "in a league of your own",
                    "not in the same league (as…)"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "a group of people or nations who have combined for a particular purpose",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the League of Nations"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a meeting of the Women’s League for Peace"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the countries in the Arab League"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the League for Prison Reform"
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "alliance",
            "topics": ["Politics"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "a unit for measuring distance, equal to about 3 miles or 4 000 metres",
            "labels": "(old use)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "making secret plans with somebody",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Those two crooks seem to be in league with each other."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/liːɡ/",
                "audio": "le/league/league__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/liːɡ/",
                "audio": "le/league/league__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "senses 1 to 3 late Middle English (denoting a compact for mutual protection or advantage): via French from Italian lega, from legare ‘to bind’, from Latin ligare.sense 4 late Middle English: from late Latin leuga, leuca, late Greek leugē, or from Provençal lega (modern French lieue)."
}