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
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
Other risk factors include a family history of blood clots, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, pregnancy, and recent surgery.
—
Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 21 Feb. 2025
Heck, plenty of sedentary guys have ignored heart attack warning signs.
—Dennis Lewon, Outside Online, 2 Feb. 2025
Your heart, lungs, muscles, and even your brain will be better for taking even small steps to go from sedentary to active.
—Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 29 Jan. 2025
Traditionally, risk factors for cardiovascular events have included high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
—Henry I Miller, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sedentary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 21 Feb. 2025
Heck, plenty of sedentary guys have ignored heart attack warning signs.
—Dennis Lewon, Outside Online, 2 Feb. 2025
Your heart, lungs, muscles, and even your brain will be better for taking even small steps to go from sedentary to active.
—Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 29 Jan. 2025
Traditionally, risk factors for cardiovascular events have included high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
—Henry I Miller, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sedentary
Cite this Entry
“Sedentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedentary. Accessed 12 Mar. 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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