anterior cruciate ligament

noun

: a cruciate ligament of each knee that attaches the front of the tibia with the back of the femur and functions especially to prevent hyperextension of the knee and is subject to injury especially by tearing : acl

Examples of anterior cruciate ligament in a Sentence

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.
Bernal broke through the following August at 17, before rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament. Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 That came with Leonard in street clothes, nursing a torn anterior cruciate ligament, an injury the Clippers kept secret until it was announced later that summer that their star player had surgery to repair it. Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anterior cruciate ligament

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anterior cruciate ligament was in 1914

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anterior cruciate ligament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anterior%20cruciate%20ligament. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Medical Definition

anterior cruciate ligament

noun
: a cruciate ligament of each knee that is attached in front to the more medial aspect of the tibia, that passes upward, backward, and laterally through the middle of the knee crossing the posterior cruciate ligament to attach to the femur, that functions to prevent hyperextension of the knee and to keep the tibia from sliding forward in relation to the femur, and that is subject to sports injury especially by tearing

called also ACL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster