connective tissue
noun
: a tissue of mesodermal origin that consists of various cells (such as fibroblasts and macrophages) and interlacing protein fibers (as of collagen) embedded in a chiefly carbohydrate ground substance, that supports, ensheathes, and binds together other tissues, and that includes loose and dense forms (such as adipose tissue, tendons, ligaments, and aponeuroses) and specialized forms (such as cartilage and bone)
Examples of connective tissue in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Third spaces furnish the connective tissue that hold a multifaith and multiethnic democracy together, Oldenburg said.
—
John Blake, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
If the segues in Scene don’t feel haphazard and herky-jerky, this is in no small part because of the role addiction plays as connective tissue between sections, a kind of leitmotif.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The company is positioning itself as the connective tissue of the agent era—not just stitching together connectors, but providing the entire life cycle of tools developers need to build, deploy, and monitor agents in production.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
But don’t trim away all the fat and connective tissue.
—Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for connective tissue
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John Blake, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
If the segues in Scene don’t feel haphazard and herky-jerky, this is in no small part because of the role addiction plays as connective tissue between sections, a kind of leitmotif.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The company is positioning itself as the connective tissue of the agent era—not just stitching together connectors, but providing the entire life cycle of tools developers need to build, deploy, and monitor agents in production.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
But don’t trim away all the fat and connective tissue.
—Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for connective tissue
Cite this Entry
“Connective tissue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/connective%20tissue. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
connective tissue
noun
con·nec·tive tissue
kə-ˌnek-tiv- 
: a tissue of mesodermal origin that consists of various cells (as fibroblasts and macrophages) and interlacing protein fibers (as of collagen) embedded in a chiefly carbohydrate ground substance, that supports, ensheathes, and binds together other tissues, and that includes loose and dense forms (as adipose tissue, tendons, ligaments, and aponeuroses) and specialized forms (as cartilage and bone)
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