cross-legged

adverb or adjective

ˈkrȯs-ˌle-gəd How to pronounce cross-legged (audio)
-ˌlā-;
-ˌlegd How to pronounce cross-legged (audio)
-ˌlāgd
1
: with legs crossed and knees spread wide apart
2
: with one leg placed over and across the other

Examples of cross-legged in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Nellie sat cross-legged on her bed, tugging her knees into her chest. Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026 Hodges and his fellow CDU 42 officers stayed in the Capitol Crypt until late that night, sitting cross-legged and leaning against columns, nursing their wounds. Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026 Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position with your hands on a mat next to your hips. Health Editorial Team, Health, 20 Dec. 2025 The floor, meanwhile, is covered with parquet-wood tiles familiar to anyone who was required to sit cross-legged in an assembly hall in Britain in the seventies. Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cross-legged

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cross-legged was circa 1530

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cross-legged.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cross-legged. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

cross-legged

adverb
ˈkrȯ-ˈsleg(-ə)d
: with the legs crossed and the knees spread wide
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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