Definition

Noun: A big leaguer is a professional baseball player who is a member of a team in Major League Baseball (MLB), the highest level of professional baseball competition in the United States and Canada.

Usage

The term is used specifically to denote a player who has reached the premier level of professional baseball. It emphasizes their status within the major leagues.

Examples

• After years in the minors, he finally became a big leaguer when he was called up by the Yankees.
• The clinic was hosted by several former big leaguers who shared their experiences.
• Making it as a big leaguer is the dream of every young baseball player.

Advanced Usage

• The term can sometimes be used more broadly or metaphorically to refer to someone who has reached the top tier or highest level in any competitive field, though this is an informal extension of its primary meaning.
  • After winning the national championship, she was considered a big leaguer in collegiate tennis.

Variants and Related Words

• Major leaguer: A direct synonym with identical meaning.
• Big league (noun): Refers to Major League Baseball itself or, informally, any major league in sports.
• Big league (adjective): Describes something characteristic of or belonging to the major leagues (e.g., , ).
• Minor leaguer: The direct opposite; a player in a professional league of a lower tier than MLB.

Synonyms

• Major leaguer
• MLB player

Notes on Meaning

The word big leaguer is a compound noun formed from "big league." Its definition is intrinsically tied to this specific sports context. It does not refer to a league that is physically large, but to the premier, most significant league.

Noun

1. a member of a major-league baseball team