cross-legged

American  

[kraws-leg-id, -legd, kros-] / ˈkrɔsˈlɛg ɪd, -ˈlɛgd, ˈkrɒs- /

adjective

1. having the legs crossed; having one leg placed across the other.

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cross-legged British  

/ -ˈlɛɡd, ˈkrɒsˈlɛɡɪd /

adjective

1. sitting with the legs bent and the knees pointing outwards

2. standing or sitting with one leg crossed over the other

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Other Word Forms

• cross-leggedly
  adverb
• cross-leggedness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of cross-legged

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

Sitting cross-legged on a red carpet, artist Mohammad Younes Qane uses an ultra-fine paintbrush to trace details such as a horse's mane or the beads of a necklace.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

She’s in a seventh-floor hotel suite overlooking Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, sitting cross-legged on the couch, leaning forward and clutching a green pillow in her lap.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

Finally, ian kicks off his sneakers, sits cross-legged on an office chair, cracks a can of yerba mate and presses play.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

In one large room, two Quran classes and a sewing class are taking place simultaneously, as a group of girls wearing hijabs and black face masks sit cross-legged on the carpet.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2025

He settled for cross-legged, and the two great wings rose either side of him.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell