sedentary
adjective
sed·en·tary
ˈse-dᵊn-ˌter-ē 
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
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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
Bramley-Moore Dock should, in effect, help those groups switch places; younger fans are expected to migrate to the safe-standing section located in the stadium’s south stand; those who would prefer a more sedentary experience will drift elsewhere.
—
Rory Smith, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
One cause for the drop is that people are becoming more sedentary, the release states.
—Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 8 Jan. 2025
As a result, some people replace physical activity with sedentary behaviors without adjusting their calorie intake, which can contribute to weight gain.5
Stress
Perimenopause can be a stressful time.
—Brandi Jones, Msn-Ed, Health, 25 Dec. 2024
Jackrabbits — still abundant today but more sedentary — once moved en masse, ripping through crops so severely during the Dust Bowl that people drove them into pens and killed them by the thousands.
—Christine Peterson, Vox, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sedentary 
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Rory Smith, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
One cause for the drop is that people are becoming more sedentary, the release states.
—Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 8 Jan. 2025
As a result, some people replace physical activity with sedentary behaviors without adjusting their calorie intake, which can contribute to weight gain.5
Stress
Perimenopause can be a stressful time.
—Brandi Jones, Msn-Ed, Health, 25 Dec. 2024
Jackrabbits — still abundant today but more sedentary — once moved en masse, ripping through crops so severely during the Dust Bowl that people drove them into pens and killed them by the thousands.
—Christine Peterson, Vox, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sedentary
Dictionary Entries Near sedentary
Cite this Entry
“Sedentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedentary. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sedentary
adjective
sed·en·tary
ˈsed-ᵊn-ˌter-ē
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
: doing or requiring much sitting : characterized by a lack of physical activity
increased risk of heart disease for those with sedentary jobs
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