ligament

noun

lig·​a·​ment ˈli-gə-mənt How to pronounce ligament (audio)
1
: a tough fibrous band of tissue connecting the articular extremities of bones or supporting an organ in place
2
: a connecting or unifying bond
the law of nations, the great ligament of mankind— Edmund Burke
ligamentous
ˌli-gə-ˈmen-təs How to pronounce ligament (audio)
adjective

Examples of ligament in a Sentence

He sprained ligaments in his knee.
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 human body has many joints, which are essentially bone and muscle junctions held together with ligaments. — Matt Parrott, Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2025 Activities like swimming, cycling, and weight lifting help condition joints and ligaments while reducing repetitive strain. — Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2025 But Patterson missed the first two weeks of practice because of a torn thumb ligament sustained in the Virginia Tech game and was limited the past two weeks. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025 Jenkins said that her doctor believes Botox may have unintentionally triggered the visible spinal change by relaxing muscles that were compensating for already-loose ligaments in her neck. — David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ligament

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin ligamentum, from Latin, band, tie, from ligare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ligament was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing ligament

Browse Nearby Words

lig
ligament
ligamental
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Cite this Entry

“Ligament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ligament. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

ligament

noun
lig·​a·​ment ˈlig-ə-mənt How to pronounce ligament (audio)
: a tough band of tissue that holds bones together or keeps an organ in place in the body
Etymology

Middle English ligament "connecting tissue, ligament," derived from Latin ligamentum "band, something used for tying," from ligare "to bind, tie" — related to ally

Medical Definition

ligament

noun
lig·​a·​ment ˈlig-ə-mənt How to pronounce ligament (audio)
1
: a tough band of tissue that serves to connect the articular extremities of bones or to support or retain an organ in place and is usually composed of coarse bundles of dense white fibrous tissue parallel or closely interlaced, pliant, and flexible, but not extensible
2
: any of various folds or bands of pleura, peritoneum, or mesentery connecting parts or organs

More from Merriam-Webster on ligament

Nglish: Translation of ligament for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ligament

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