major league

plural major leagues

1. An association of sports teams which plays at the highest skill level of its sport, especially Major League Baseball.

   Synonyms: big league, majors, big time, superleague, elite league

2. attributiveplural normallyThe highest level of competition in a field of endeavor.

   You can't be so casual. You're in the major leagues now.

comparative more major league · superlative most major league · alternative major-league

1. hobbiesOf or pertaining to a major sports league; belonging to the professional level of a sport, such as US baseball.
2. broadlyAnalogous in importance to a major league sports team.

   That rock band is really major league.

   1 more example

   Calatrava is a major league architect.

3. figurativelySerious, high-level; significant

   The company made a major league effort to get the contract.

   2 more examples

   Bill accidentally faxed sensitive documents to our competitors, and such a major league mess-up could only be dealt with by firing Bill.

   […]I'm experiencing a major-league anxiety attack, searching my pockets for Valium, Xanax, a leftover Halcion, anything, and all I find are three faded Nuprin in a Gucci pill-box, so I pop all three into my mouth and swallow them down with a Diet Pepsi and I couldn’t tell you where it came from if my life depended on it.

   1991, Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho, London: Picador, →ISBN, page 148