Today, various nanomaterials have shown remarkable potential in liquid crystal display and non-display applications. Among them, carbon nanotubes and liquid crystal molecules have the same anisotropic geometry, which is easier to disperse into the liquid crystal and has more substantial stability. This review briefly reviews the carbon nanotubes/liquid crystal composite materials in recent years.Firstly, the basic concept and classification of carbon nanotubes and liquid crystal materials are introduced. Then, three common methods of dispersing carbon nanotubes into liquid crystal are described, and the effects of carbon nanotubes on physical properties of liquid crystal materials such as phase transition temperature, optical properties, electrical conductivity, dielectric properties and mechanics properties are discussed. Finally, the applications of carbon nanotubes/liquid crystal composites in actuators, sensors, handwriting tablets, high strength materials, and other fields are introduced. The understanding of the preparation, properties, and application of carbon nanotubes/liquid crystal composites will help to explore the exact mechanism of the interaction between carbon nanotubes and liquid crystal molecules leading to the improvement of liquid crystal thermal, dielectric, electro-optical, mechanical, and other physical properties, and lay a foundation for the realization of related applications in the future.