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
Their bodies are made of small calcium carbonate plates held together by ligaments and muscles.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
The Giants expect to be without Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman for several weeks, and potentially most of the 30 games that remain before the All-Star break, after an MRI on his right hand showed sprained ligaments and a bone bruise.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 June 2025
The ligaments in her ring finger were disconnected, as well.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 26 May 2025
Per a Golden State press release, Warriors guard Moses Moody had surgery for a torn right thumb Ulnar Collateral ligament on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ligament
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Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
The Giants expect to be without Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman for several weeks, and potentially most of the 30 games that remain before the All-Star break, after an MRI on his right hand showed sprained ligaments and a bone bruise.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 June 2025
The ligaments in her ring finger were disconnected, as well.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 26 May 2025
Per a Golden State press release, Warriors guard Moses Moody had surgery for a torn right thumb Ulnar Collateral ligament on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ligament
Cite this Entry
“Ligament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ligament. Accessed 26 Jun. 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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