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.

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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

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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.

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ligament Cultural  

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

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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

“But you do plyometrics progressively, so you’re strong enough and don’t tear a muscle or a ligament or tendon.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Next, Rushing, in conversation with the team and medical staff, will have to decide whether he needs to undergo surgery to repair the ligament.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Catcher Dalton Rushing’s elbow injury was diagnosed as a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament, as manager Dave Roberts first told AM 570’s David Vassegh.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

When Rodri returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury last year, there will have been plenty who wondered whether he would return to the Ballon d'Or-winning levels he had reached at his peak.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Old Charlie and his mule were both string-halted, each having a tight ligament in the leg that made him limp.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

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

In a study published in Nature Communications, Muneoka and colleagues describe a new two-step treatment that enabled the regeneration of bone, joint structures, and ligaments.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026

Richards was once again a lock for the World Cup when he tore two ligaments in his left ankle two weeks before the U.S. roster would be announced.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

My knee was aching, likely a callback to surgery at 16 to repair torn ligaments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

As a result, the vast majority of horses’ sleeping is done standing, which they can do thanks to ligaments that lock their leg joints in the extended position.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

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