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
Research suggests a few potential culprits, including environmental elements (like endocrine-disrupting chemicals used in products and packaging) and lifestyle factors, like broad trends toward being more sedentary and delaying having kids.
—
Erica Sloan, SELF, 1 Oct. 2025
But choosing to stay at a job comes with risks, too, especially for sedentary workers who don’t seek out growth opportunities, Bachaud said.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Established jointly by the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Health and Human Services, the RDA represents the minimum amount of a nutrient that must be eaten by a relatively sedentary person to meet their basic needs.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
People who work desk jobs and are sedentary for many hours of the day should include at least one hour of physical activity on most days, and take breaks to stand, stretch and walk around often, the expert recommends.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sedentary
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Erica Sloan, SELF, 1 Oct. 2025
But choosing to stay at a job comes with risks, too, especially for sedentary workers who don’t seek out growth opportunities, Bachaud said.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Established jointly by the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Health and Human Services, the RDA represents the minimum amount of a nutrient that must be eaten by a relatively sedentary person to meet their basic needs.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
People who work desk jobs and are sedentary for many hours of the day should include at least one hour of physical activity on most days, and take breaks to stand, stretch and walk around often, the expert recommends.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 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 10 Oct. 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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