league¹ / lēg/ • n. 1. a collection of people, countries, or groups that combine for a particular purpose, typically mutual protection or cooperation: the League of Nations. ∎  an agreement to combine in this way.2. a group of sports clubs that play each other over a period for a championship. ∎  the contest for the championship of such a league: the year we won the league.3. a class or category of quality or excellence: the two men were not in the same league Jack’s in a league of his own.• v. (leagues, leagued, lea·guing) [intr.] join in a league or alliance: Oscar had leagued with other construction firms.PHRASES: in league conspiring with another or others: he is in league with the devil. league² • n. a former measure of distance by land, usually about three miles.

league2 covenant for mutual assistance. XV. Early forms (ligg, ligue, leag(u)e, lege) show deriv. (i) partly from F. ligue—It liga, latinized form of lega, f. legare bind :- L. ligāre; (ii) partly immed. from It. lega.
Hence vb. XVII. leaguer¹ member of a league, XVI; see -ER1.

league1 distance of three miles. XIV. The earliest forms show two types, leuge and leghe, the first — late L. leuca, leuga, late Gr. leúgē (of Gaul. orig.), the second— Pr. lega, whence (O)F. lieue; the second type has survived.

League

a group of persons, states, or other organizations with a common interest.