ligament

American  

[lig-uh-muhnt] / ˈlɪg ə mənt /

noun

• ligaments
  plural

1. Anatomy, Zoology. a band of tissue, usually white and fibrous, serving to connect bones, hold organs in place, etc.

2. a tie or bond.

   The desire for personal freedom is a ligament uniting all peoples.

---

ligament British  

/ ˈlɪɡəmənt /

noun

1. anatomy any one of the bands or sheets of tough fibrous connective tissue that restrict movement in joints, connect various bones or cartilages, support muscles, etc

2. any physical or abstract connection or bond

---

ligament Scientific  

/ lĭg′ə-mənt /

1. A sheet or band of tough fibrous tissue that connects two bones or holds an organ of the body in place.

---

ligament Cultural  

1. A kind of fibrous connective tissue that binds bones or cartilage together.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ligaments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ligament

1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin ligāmentum, Latin: bandage, equivalent to ligā ( re ) to tie + -mentum -ment

Compare meaning

How does ligament compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• tendon vs. ligament

Explanation

A ligament is the tissue that connects two bones to form a joint. It's tough and fibrous, which means that when it tears, a ligament can take quite a while to heal and might even require surgery. Ligament comes from the Latin ligare meaning "to bind, tie," which is precisely what a ligament does. Ligaments only connect bones to bones. Ligaments allow for range of motion. Think of how your knee or elbow is able to move up and down like a hinge. That's thanks to the ligaments connecting the bones to form knee and elbow joints. Over time, ligaments gradually stretch. If you've ever met someone who is "double-jointed" that means their ligaments are extra elastic, which lets them stretch more than the average person.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ligament ligaments

Surgery can repair the torn ligament, but fixing the immediate injury does not necessarily prevent long-term joint damage.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

For older players, Tommy John surgery—a ligament repair and reconstruction named for the major league pitcher it was first performed on and widespread among pros—is on the rise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

"Inevitably a muscle or ligament gets stretched and a bit irritated," he says.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

The PC also lost a large percentage of the skin from his back after landing on the road and is on a waiting list for ankle ligament reconstruction.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

A doctor’s exam had showed it was more a sprained ligament than anything else.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

He dislocated a knee and tore several ligaments, including his ACL, during a game against the New York Jets on Sept. 29, 2025, and was released by the Dolphins during the offseason.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

Ed Lee is an Orlando-based endocrinologist who is hopeful for compounding approvals, especially for BPC-157, which is popular in the wellness community for its purported ability to repair tissues, including muscles and ligaments.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Rick Seah, a doctor who treats athletes and dancers at the U.K.’s Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, said ballet dancers need strength and endurance in their muscles and ligaments to reach and maintain many complex positions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

"It grew so vast and so wide and for so long, on nerves and ligaments that are attached to my legs," she says.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

And I did damage some of the other tendons and ligaments around my knee, so I will need to wear a brace and use crutches again, at least for a little while.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

Related Words

• association
• channel
• contact
• element
• hookup
• network
• relationship
• tie