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

Workers were digging in a fossil-rich sedimentary rock unit known as the Santiago Formation. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Scientists initially expected Perseverance to encounter sedimentary rocks deposited along the shoreline of the ancient lake that once filled Jezero. — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2026

The sedimentary structures preserved beneath the caldera floor support this idea. — Yook Ji Hun, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026

Kent Hups set out one morning on a research expedition in the famed Hell Creek Formation, a series of fossil-rich sedimentary rock layers in the western United States. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sedimentary

• alimentary
• complimentary
• documentary
• parliamentary
• rudimentary
• supplementary
• testamentary
• integumentary
• uncomplimentary
• unparliamentary
• interparliamentary
• metasedimentary

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