sedentary

adjective

sed·​en·​tary ˈse-dᵊn-ˌter-ē How to pronounce sedentary (audio)
1
: not migratory : settled
sedentary birds
sedentary civilizations
2
a
: doing or requiring much sitting
a sedentary job
b
: not physically active
a sedentary lifestyle
3
: permanently attached
sedentary barnacles

Did you know?

Sit and Learn About Sedentary

Sedentary comes from Latin sedēre, meaning "to sit." Other descendants of sedēre include dissident, insidious, preside, reside, and subsidy. Sedēre is also the base of the rare sedens, a noun meaning "a person who remains a resident of the place or region of his or her birth."

Examples of sedentary in a Sentence

Editing the dictionary is a sedentary job. The work is very sedentary. Their health problems were caused by their sedentary lifestyles. He became sedentary later on in his life.
Recent Examples on the Web Diabetes risk also increases with age, which significantly raises the chance of heart disease, Whyte said, as do other health factors such as obesity, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle. Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 18 Feb. 2024 But fish can swim thousands of miles with varying lifespans, so to study fish rings and make environmental observations, Black has to find more specific, sedentary candidates. The Arizona Republic, 19 Feb. 2024 An octogenarian in excellent health is more likely to have a heart attack than a sedentary thirtysomething chain-smoker is. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2024 In West Little River, a new senior center with a pool, gym and social space has given new life to sedentary seniors. Alexi C. Cardona, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 In the third and fourth millennia B.C.E., many oases in the North Arabian Desert were inhabited by sedentary populations. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024 The activity center even eventually transitions into a standing desk, so baby's lifestyle doesn't creep into sedentary territory. Melissa Willets, Parents, 3 Jan. 2024 There are even specialist boots out there with up to 2,000 grams of insulation for sedentary activities in extreme cold like hunting or ice fishing. Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 21 Nov. 2023 Wired to be sedentary For most of human existence, people had to be physically active to carry out the basic functions of life, such as finding or growing food. TIME, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sedentary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French sedentaire, from Latin sedentarius, from sedent-, sedens, present participle of sedēre to sit — more at sit

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sedentary was in 1598

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Dictionary Entries Near sedentary

Cite this Entry

“Sedentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedentary. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sedentary

adjective
sed·​en·​tary ˈsed-ᵊn-ˌter-ē How to pronounce sedentary (audio)
1
: not migratory : settled
sedentary birds
2
: doing or requiring much sitting
a sedentary job

Medical Definition

sedentary

adjective
sed·​en·​tary ˈsed-ᵊn-ˌter-ē How to pronounce sedentary (audio)
: doing or requiring much sitting : characterized by a lack of physical activity
increased risk of heart disease for those with sedentary jobs
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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