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
On the flip side, research suggests sedentary lifestyles—which may be more common among people who live in less walkable neighborhoods—can lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, raising the risk of stroke or heart attack.6
Inactivity can have consequences beyond heart health, too.
—
Julia Ries, Health, 25 Apr. 2025
Scientists believe some confluence of environmental factors, including diet, a sedentary lifestyle, medication and so on, is driving this steep rise.
—Will Stone, NPR, 25 Apr. 2025
The American Heart Association emphasizes that stress not only directly raises blood pressure but also indirectly contributes to unhealthy habits, including smoking, poor diet and sedentary lifestyles.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
As more and more people are working sedentary office jobs requiring them to sit down for prolonged periods, the number of workers suffering from back and neck issues is growing.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sedentary
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Julia Ries, Health, 25 Apr. 2025
Scientists believe some confluence of environmental factors, including diet, a sedentary lifestyle, medication and so on, is driving this steep rise.
—Will Stone, NPR, 25 Apr. 2025
The American Heart Association emphasizes that stress not only directly raises blood pressure but also indirectly contributes to unhealthy habits, including smoking, poor diet and sedentary lifestyles.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
As more and more people are working sedentary office jobs requiring them to sit down for prolonged periods, the number of workers suffering from back and neck issues is growing.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 Mar. 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 1 May. 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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