a covenant or compact made between persons, parties, states, etc., for the promotion or maintenance of common interests or for mutual assistance or service.
2.
the aggregation of persons, parties, states, etc., associated in such a covenant or compact; confederacy.
3.
an association of individuals having a common goal.
4.
a group of athletic teams organized to promote mutual interests and to compete chiefly among themselves: a bowling league.
in league, working together, often secretly or for a harmful purpose; united.
Origin: 1425–75; earlier leage < Italian lega, noun derivative of legare < Latin ligāre to bind; replacing late Middle English ligg < Middle French ligue < Italian liga, variant of lega
"distance of about three miles," late 14c., from L.L. leuga (cf. Fr. lieue, Sp. legua, It. lega), said by Roman writers to be from Gaulish. A vague measure (perhaps originally an hour's hike) never in official use in England, where the record of it is more often poetic than practical.