minor league

noun

: a league of professional clubs in a sport other than the recognized major leagues
minor-league
ˈmī-nər-ˈlēg How to pronounce minor league (audio)
adjective

Examples of minor league in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The death of Romero sparked tributes from the hockey world, including from the ECHL – a developmental hockey league that serves as part of the NHL’s minor league system. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026 Prior to joining the Cubs, Banner was part of the New York Mets organization from 2018-2020 as Executive Director, Player Development, overseeing the organization's minor league system beginning in December of 2018. — CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Recipients over the years have included major and minor league coaches, chefs, clubhouse attendants, parking lot security guards, the people who liaise with the players’ wives, and the ushers who staff the family section in the stands. — Stephanie Apstein, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2026 Here is a closer look at some of the standouts, in no particular order, from the Braves’ minor league affiliates during the ‘26 campaign. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for minor league

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of minor league was in 1884

Rhymes for minor league

See All Rhymes for minor league

Browse Nearby Words

minor key
minor league
minor leaguer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Minor league.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minor%20league. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

minor league

noun
: a professional sports league (as in baseball) that is not one of the major leagues

More from Merriam-Webster on minor league

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about minor league

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All