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

With health care costs rising and cultural influences promoting sedentary lifestyles, the imperative to act has never been more urgent. —Liz Clark, Fortune, 7 May 2024

Sometimes occasional bouts come down to not eating enough fiber, not drinking enough water, or being sedentary. —Marygrace Taylor, SELF, 2 May 2024

Those risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, being 60 or older, having a family history of heart disease, being sedentary, or carrying extra weight. —Sarah Klein, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024

More research is needed—some of which is already underway—on whether simply being less sedentary improves sleep, as well as whether shorter or less frequent workouts can still have a positive effect. —Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 27 Mar. 2024

Between 2013 and 2015, for 24 hours a day for seven days total, participants of the new study wore activity trackers on their wrists to monitor daily step count and time spent being sedentary (sitting or lying down while awake). —Kristen Rogers, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024

The data found that, for every 1.5 hours of being sedentary, the participants had a 17% higher risk of experiencing heart failure. —Korin Miller Updated, Verywell Health, 6 Mar. 2024

For elderly individuals that are sedentary, the sudden exertion places stress on the heart that can potentially result in a heart attack. —Omer Awan, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

The process of storing fat is accelerated and made more efficient by being sedentary, another common trait of the typical obese American. —Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 1 Feb. 2024

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

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Kids 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