You searched for: “league
league (s) (noun), leagues (pl)
1. An association of nations, states, organizations, or businesses with common interests or goals.
2. An association of sports clubs or teams that compete with each other.
3. Etymology: "alliance", from 1452, ligg, from Middle French ligue, "confederacy, league"; from Italian lega, from legare, "to tie, to bind"; from Latin ligare, "to bind".

Originally it referred to "among nations", subsequently it was extended to political associations (1846) and sports associations (1879).

This entry is located in the following unit: lig- (page 1)