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.
The CCC does not suggest a maximum temperature but points to the example of Spain, where the maximum legal working temperature indoors is 27C for sedentary work and 25C for light physical work.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
In an era marked by burnout, sedentary lifestyles and rising mental-health struggles, progression offers a practical compass.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
Jose Diego had been unenthusiastic about wife Renee Dominguez’s suggestion that they take up cycling to break him out of his sedentary ways.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
What makes this study different is that it directly examined whether walking more could help counteract the negative effects of sedentary behavior, using objective data from wearable devices.
From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026
They were always getting scratched by cats, or cutting themselves shaving, or stumbling over footstools in the dark—reasonable explanations, certainly, but for sedentary people they had an odd excess of bruises and small wounds.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
