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 mankindEdmund Burke
ligamentous 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.
For most, surgery is required, which uses donor tissue — typically part of your own hamstring — to replace the torn ligament. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025 As Shohei Ohtani has worked his way from a second major elbow ligament reconstruction, the organization has preached patience, signaling for weeks now that Ohtani would not make his pitching debut for the franchise until after the All-Star break at the earliest. Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 11 June 2025 Every now and then, however, a pitcher gets an even better ligament the second time around. Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025 Huff was meant to be a cornerstone pass rusher on the Eagles, but suffered a torn ligament in his wrist, leading to missing a total of five weeks. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ligament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ligament. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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

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