sedentary
Americanadjective
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characterized by or requiring a sitting posture.
a sedentary occupation.
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accustomed to sit or rest a great deal or to take little exercise.
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Chiefly Zoology.
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abiding in one place; not migratory.
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pertaining to animals that move about little or are permanently attached to something, as a barnacle.
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adjective
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characterized by or requiring a sitting position
sedentary work
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tending to sit about without taking much exercise
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(of animals) moving about very little, usually because of attachment to a rock or other surface
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(of animals) not migratory
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sedentary
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin sedentārius “sitting,” equivalent to sedent- (stem of sedēns, present participle of sedēre “to sit 1 ”; see -ent) + -ārius -ary
Explanation
Scientists believe that one of the causes of the obesity epidemic sweeping the U.S. is our sedentary lifestyle. Sedentary means sitting a lot and refers to a person or job that is not very physically active. If you have a sedentary job, you might want to stand up and stretch every hour or so, and if your doctor says that you are too sedentary, she means that it would be healthier for you to exercise more. This adjective has a specialized meaning when referring to certain types of birds that stay in one area and do not migrate. Sedentary comes into English from French sédentaire, which is derived from the Latin word sedēre, "to sit."
Vocabulary lists containing sedentary
100 SAT words Beginning with "S"
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The Fault in Our Stars
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Charlotte's Web
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By contrast, physical activity and sedentary time measured using a device that tracked heart rate and movement were not associated with cognitive processing.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
This means more people are in sedentary office jobs so spend more time sitting down than moving around.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
By mining their trove of human DNA, Regeneron scientists discovered what he calls the “laziness gene,” which dictates whether a person is inherently sedentary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
On average, sedentary time increased by 17 minutes per day.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
By contrast, sedentary people, unconstrained by problems of carrying young children on treks, can bear and raise as many children as they can feed.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
