Cell adhesion or conjugate formation between T lymphocytes and other cells is an important early step in the generation of the immune response. Although the antigen‐specific T cell receptor confers antigen recognition and specificity, a number of other molecules expressed on the T cell surface are involved in the regulation of lymphocyte adhesion. T cell molecules that function to strengthen adhesion include lymphocyte function‐associated antigen (LFA)‐1, CD2, CD4, and CD8. Their ligands have recently been identified. LFA‐1 is a member of the integrin family of adhesion receptors and one of its ligands is intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1); a ligand for CD2 is LFA‐3; and ligands for CD4 and CD8 appear to be major histocompatibility complex class II and class I molecules, respectively. In addition, T cells express a number of receptors thought to be involved in cell matrix adhesion. The function and significance of these T cell adhesion receptors and their ligands are reviewed.—B ierer , B. E.; B urakoff , S. J. T cell adhesion molecules. FASEBJ. 2: 2584‐2590; 1988.