tibia

noun

tib·​ia ˈti-bē-ə 

plural tibiae ˈti-bē-ˌē  -bē-ˌī  also tibias

1

: the inner and usually larger of the two bones of the vertebrate hind or lower limb between the knee and ankle

2

: the fourth joint of the leg of an insect between the femur and tarsus

tibial

ˈti-bē-əl 

adjective

Examples of tibia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His 2024 season was cut short by his fractured tibia and fibula. —Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025

Lewis came over in December from the Los Angeles Lakers in the D’Angelo Russell trade and came back from a fractured tibia suffered in his Nets debut. —Law Murray, New York Times, 22 June 2025

Your knee joint typically has four such ligaments connecting your upper leg bone, the femur, with your bigger lower leg bone, the tibia. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025

The soft tissue of the ankle’s ligaments connects the ankle bones (like the tibia, fibula, and talus) to one another and stabilizes the joint. —Alyssa Ages, Outside Online, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

circa 1706, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tibia

• amphibia
• tibiae

Kids Definition

tibia

noun

tib·​ia ˈtib-ē-ə 

plural tibiae -ē-ˌē 

-ē-ˌī

also tibias

1

: the inner and usually larger of the two bones of the vertebrate leg that is located between the knee and the ankle

called also shinbone

2

: the fourth joint of the leg of an insect between the femur and the tarsus

tibial

-ē-əl 

adjective

Medical Definition

tibia

noun

tib·​ia ˈtib-ē-ə 

plural tibiae -ē-ˌē  -ē-ˌī  also tibias

: the inner and usually larger of the two bones of the leg between the knee and ankle that articulates above with the femur and below with the talus

called also shinbone