ligament
noun
lig·a·ment
ˈli-gə-mənt 
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
Edmund BurkeExamples of ligament in a Sentence
He sprained ligaments in his knee.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Austria international underwent anterior cruciate knee ligament (ACL) surgery in his left knee after suffering a rupture during Madrid’s La Liga victory over Villarreal in December 2023 before in May 2024 undergoing an arthroscopy, a procedure for diagnosing and treating joint problems.
—Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
That procedure removes part of the bone and nearby ligaments to create more space for the nerves.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
All Purdy did was take his the 49ers to consecutive NFC Championship Games, tearing a ligament in his elbow as a rookie and winning two come-from-behind playoff games before acquitting himself well in Super Bowl LVIII only to fall victim to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 8 Dec. 2024
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles and ligaments that support the pelvic organs, including the bladder, uterus and rectum.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 19 Nov. 2024
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Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
That procedure removes part of the bone and nearby ligaments to create more space for the nerves.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
All Purdy did was take his the 49ers to consecutive NFC Championship Games, tearing a ligament in his elbow as a rookie and winning two come-from-behind playoff games before acquitting himself well in Super Bowl LVIII only to fall victim to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 8 Dec. 2024
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles and ligaments that support the pelvic organs, including the bladder, uterus and rectum.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ligament
Dictionary Entries Near ligament
Cite this Entry
“Ligament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ligament. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ligament
noun
lig·a·ment
ˈlig-ə-mənt
: 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
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
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