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

Regular exercise is one of the most powerful habits for protecting long-term health, and higher activity levels appear to reduce many risks associated with sedentary time. — Jakob Roze, Health, 23 July 2026

Being sedentary for several hours at a time also takes a toll on kids — and adults, too. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 23 July 2026

Unmarried young men lead the rest of the population in sedentary, solo leisure time (a metric that gets at hours spent chasing dopamine hits in front of a screen). — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 13 July 2026

Sleep is fundamental to good health, and people who give short shrift to sleep are more likely to gain weight and be more sedentary. — Allison Aubrey, NPR, 13 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for sedentary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• apiary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• bacillary
• beriberi
• bestiary
• breviary
• budgetary

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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