The appendicular skeleton is the portion of the vertebrate endoskeleton consisting of the bones, cartilages and ligaments that support the paired appendages (fins, flippers or limbs).

In most terrestrial vertebrates (except snakes, legless lizards and caecillians), the appendicular skeleton and the associated skeletal muscles are the predominant locomotive structures.

There are 126 bones in the human appendicular skeleton, includes the skeletal elements within the shoulder and pelvic girdles, upper and lower limbs, and hands and feet.

The adjective "appendicular" comes from Latin appendicula, meaning "small addition".

The appendicular skeleton forms during development from cartilage, by the process of endochondral ossification.