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.

abiding in one place; not migratory.
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

sed·en·tar·i·ly

[sed-n-tair-uh-lee, sed-n-ter-], /ˌsɛd nˈtɛər ə li, ˈsɛd nˌtɛr-/, adjectivesed·en·tar·i·ness, nounnon·sed·en·tar·i·ly, adverbnon·sed·en·tar·i·ness, noun

non·sed·en·tar·y, adjectivepre·sed·en·tar·y, adjectiveun·sed·en·tar·y, adjective

Words nearby sedentary

sedation, sedative, Seddon, Sedecias, se defendendo, sedentary, Seder, sederunt, sedge, sedged, sedge family

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

How to use sedentary in a sentence

Back pain can often be the predictable result of a sedentary lifestyle that more and more Americans have, so it may not take much movement to increase strength in the core and back enough to relieve pain.
The best thing for back pain is actually more movement|Sara Chodosh|September 16, 2020|Popular-Science
Some might argue that the imaging signs could be chalked up to differences between the hearts of competitive athletes and those of the more sedentary.
College athletes show signs of possible heart injury after COVID-19|Aimee Cunningham|September 11, 2020|Science News
I know online education may seem an awful imposition on parents of younger children particularly – bloodless and breathless, as well as overly sedentary.
Online Learning Is Here to Stay|Sara-Ellen Amster|August 7, 2020|Voice of San Diego
This time, however, we distilled the plasma from runners and injected it into sedentary litter mates over the course of a month.
Couch Potato No More: How the Benefits of Exercise Transfer to the Brain|Shelly Fan|July 14, 2020|Singularity Hub

After 30 days of giving them the drug, Evans and his team put the sedentary mice on a treadmill.
The Zero-Minute Workout (Ep. 383 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|January 2, 2020|Freakonomics
That reserve gets smaller with sedentary lifestyles, and with age.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Risky Heart Surgery|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He will spend the rest of his commute sedentary, and she upright.
Leaky Ceilings, Catcalls, and Uncaged Pythons: 4 Hours on NYC’s Worst Subway|Kevin Zawacki|August 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kids today, just like adults, are more sedentary, glued to videogames and every tech gadget with a screen.
The Financial Case for Dodgeball: Why America Needs Gym Class|Mark McKinnon|April 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The doctors said it was as strong as an ox, considering he was so sedentary.
Gore Vidal’s Tragic Final Decade|Tim Teeman|November 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Americans spend twice as much time in cars as in the 1970s and average more than 26 hours per week of sedentary entertainment.
Bloomberg's Soda Ban Might Not Have Worked|Justin Green|April 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
She grants the enjoyment of sedentary pursuits to those to whom she has denied hardier pleasures.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
I now begin to despair, and am almost inclined to think that your sedentary life has rivetted your chains, and cut off your wings.
Private Letters of Edward Gibbon (1753-1794) Volume 1 (of 2)|Edward Gibbon
A slightly sallow tinge under its sudden bloom told how Rose had suffered from the sedentary life.
The Creators|May Sinclair
A waiter conjured a vacant table and chairs from nowhere, in the midst of the sedentary throng.
Jaffery|William J. Locke
The sedentary life told on his health, and he obstinately declined the medicines his mother sent him.
The Life of Mazzini|Bolton King

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

sedentary

Origin of sedentary

OTHER WORDS FROM sedentary

Words nearby sedentary

Words related to sedentary

How to use sedentary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sedentary

Derived forms of sedentary

Word Origin for sedentary