sedimentary
adjective
sed·i·men·ta·ry
ˌse-də-ˈmen-tə-rē 
-ˈmen-trē
1
: of, relating to, or containing sediment
sedimentary deposits
2
: formed by or from deposits of sediment
sedimentary rock
Examples of sedimentary in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The composition of aquifers varies across regions, from limestone layers below Florida to more sedimentary layers in the Northeast.
—
Rob L. Evans, Scientific American, 15 June 2023
The statue was carved from limestone, a sedimentary rock not found in the area.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2022
This non-slip stone mat, which was featured in a TikTok video that's racked up more than 173,000 views, is made of siliceous sedimentary rock, which can hold up to 150 percent of its weight in moisture and dries in seconds, leaving you with a clean, mold-free surface every time.
—Stephanie Montes, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2023
Perseverance has been examining a top of an 820-foot-tall pile of sedimentary rock which has features that are suggestive of water.
—Julia Musto, Fox News, 13 May 2023
Every day the 862,000 residents of the county generate about 2,000 tons of garbage that ends up at this site, like an enormous sedimentary rock of refuse, each layer marking another year of consumption and detritus.
—Marianne Szegedy-Maszak, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2023
The 15 cores that Perseverance collected in the first year and a half of its mission include igneous rock, sedimentary rock (where life most often lives on Earth), samples indicating past interaction with water, and samples containing organic compounds.
—Marissa Grunes, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2023
From the samples, which consist of igneous and sedimentary rock cores, researchers hope to learn more about the geological—and, possibly, astrobiological—processes that unfolded when the crater formed nearly four billion years ago.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2023
There’s layers and layers of repression; sexuality and lust are probably a prehistoric, sedimentary layer by now.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 13 Oct. 2022
See More
Rob L. Evans, Scientific American, 15 June 2023
The statue was carved from limestone, a sedimentary rock not found in the area.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2022
This non-slip stone mat, which was featured in a TikTok video that's racked up more than 173,000 views, is made of siliceous sedimentary rock, which can hold up to 150 percent of its weight in moisture and dries in seconds, leaving you with a clean, mold-free surface every time.
—Stephanie Montes, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2023
Perseverance has been examining a top of an 820-foot-tall pile of sedimentary rock which has features that are suggestive of water.
—Julia Musto, Fox News, 13 May 2023
Every day the 862,000 residents of the county generate about 2,000 tons of garbage that ends up at this site, like an enormous sedimentary rock of refuse, each layer marking another year of consumption and detritus.
—Marianne Szegedy-Maszak, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2023
The 15 cores that Perseverance collected in the first year and a half of its mission include igneous rock, sedimentary rock (where life most often lives on Earth), samples indicating past interaction with water, and samples containing organic compounds.
—Marissa Grunes, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2023
From the samples, which consist of igneous and sedimentary rock cores, researchers hope to learn more about the geological—and, possibly, astrobiological—processes that unfolded when the crater formed nearly four billion years ago.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2023
There’s layers and layers of repression; sexuality and lust are probably a prehistoric, sedimentary layer by now.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 13 Oct. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sedimentary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near sedimentary
Cite this Entry
“Sedimentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedimentary. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
sedimentary
adjective
sed·i·men·ta·ry
ˌsed-ə-ˈment-ə-rē
-ˈmen-trē
1
: of, relating to, or containing sediment
2
: formed by or from sediment
sedimentary rock
compare igneous, metamorphic
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