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 the Latin verb 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 that refers to a person who remains a resident of the place or region of their 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
They can be fixed or non-modifiable, like a family history or advancing age, or modifiable, like a sedentary lifestyle or excessive alcohol or salt consumption.
—
Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 18 Dec. 2025
Their study, which appears in the Journal of Applied Physiology, had sedentary volunteers complete eight weeks of either running, cycling, or no exercise.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025
Walking upstairs at the theater and taking the subway also kept her from becoming too sedentary.
—Leigh Scheps, Parents, 13 Dec. 2025
The fine line between rest and recovery, and just being sedentary.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sedentary
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Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 18 Dec. 2025
Their study, which appears in the Journal of Applied Physiology, had sedentary volunteers complete eight weeks of either running, cycling, or no exercise.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025
Walking upstairs at the theater and taking the subway also kept her from becoming too sedentary.
—Leigh Scheps, Parents, 13 Dec. 2025
The fine line between rest and recovery, and just being sedentary.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 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 31 Dec. 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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