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sedentary

[ sed-n-ter-ee ]
/ ˈsɛd nˌtɛr i /
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See synonyms for sedentary on Thesaurus.com
adjective
characterized by or requiring a sitting posture: a sedentary occupation.
accustomed to sit or rest a great deal or to take little exercise.
Chiefly Zoology.
  1. abiding in one place; not migratory.
  2. pertaining to animals that move about little or are permanently attached to something, as a barnacle.
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Origin of sedentary

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin sedentārius “sitting,” equivalent to sedent- (stem of sedēns, present participle of sedēre “to sit1 ”; see -ent) + -ārius -ary

OTHER WORDS FROM sedentary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to sedentary

inactive, desk, desk-bound, idle, seated, settled, sitting, sluggish, stationary, torpid

British Dictionary definitions for sedentary

sedentary
/ (ˈsɛdəntərɪ, -trɪ) /
adjective
characterized by or requiring a sitting positionsedentary work
tending to sit about without taking much exercise
(of animals) moving about very little, usually because of attachment to a rock or other surface
(of animals) not migratory

Derived forms of sedentary

sedentarily, adverbsedentariness, noun

Word Origin for sedentary

C16: from Latin sedentārius, from sedēre to sit
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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