ligament
Americannoun
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Anatomy, Zoology. a band of tissue, usually white and fibrous, serving to connect bones, hold organs in place, etc.
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a tie or bond.
The desire for personal freedom is a ligament uniting all peoples.
noun
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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
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any physical or abstract connection or bond
Etymology
Origin of ligament
1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin ligāmentum, Latin: bandage, equivalent to ligā ( re ) to tie + -mentum -ment
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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.
Vocabulary lists containing ligament
Human Anatomy and Physiology - Introductory
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Before the Ever After
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Human Anatomy and Physiology - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Surgery to repair ligament damage in the elbow is scary for any pitcher, young or old.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
Leoni, 19, was ruled out for a year after after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in September, a month after joining the Reds from Parma for a fee of £26m plus add-ons.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy also had an internal brace procedure done when he had elbow ligament damage.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Levi Colwill, who has only recently returned from a long-term cruciate knee ligament injury, was included in Tuchel's extended 55-man party for the tournament but is unlikely to make the full squad.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
It was obvious he was tentative, the knee looming as if all the bone and flesh and ligament and cartilage lay there exposed for everyone to take a shot at like some carnival game.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
