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
Bayard, though admitting to gaps in his own reading, sees familiarity with literature as a means of orienting yourself intellectually, whereas Adler understands a student as merely a sedentary receptacle.
—
Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
Even more important could be changing the sedentary lifestyle—and lack of exercise—that comes with frequently using a laptop on your lap.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 20 May 2026
There, the maximum legal working temperature indoors is 27C for sedentary work and 25C for light physical work.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 20 May 2026
As workers shifted from manual to white collar labor, more people began exercising recreationally, to keep their bodies healthy despite sedentary work.
—Jamil Zaki, CNBC, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sedentary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
Even more important could be changing the sedentary lifestyle—and lack of exercise—that comes with frequently using a laptop on your lap.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 20 May 2026
There, the maximum legal working temperature indoors is 27C for sedentary work and 25C for light physical work.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 20 May 2026
As workers shifted from manual to white collar labor, more people began exercising recreationally, to keep their bodies healthy despite sedentary work.
—Jamil Zaki, CNBC, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sedentary
Cite this Entry
“Sedentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedentary. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
