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
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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
Some experts recommend including aerobic exercise as a way to manage chronic constipation in people with sedentary lifestyles.
—
Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 23 Oct. 2024
This would be true for a bodybuilder and a sedentary non-athlete of the same weight, height, and age, Heymsfield notes.
—Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 1 Oct. 2024
Imagine a system that, in seconds, prevents a patient from falling by recognizing their attempt to get out of bed, prompts a sedentary patient to be turned to prevent pressure injuries and identifies changes in medication responses.
—Narinder Singh, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
The Tucson wellness resort opened its doors in 1979 after original founder Mel Zuckerman wanted to step out of his sedentary lifestyle and teach others to follow suit.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sedentary 
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Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 23 Oct. 2024
This would be true for a bodybuilder and a sedentary non-athlete of the same weight, height, and age, Heymsfield notes.
—Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 1 Oct. 2024
Imagine a system that, in seconds, prevents a patient from falling by recognizing their attempt to get out of bed, prompts a sedentary patient to be turned to prevent pressure injuries and identifies changes in medication responses.
—Narinder Singh, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
The Tucson wellness resort opened its doors in 1979 after original founder Mel Zuckerman wanted to step out of his sedentary lifestyle and teach others to follow suit.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sedentary
Dictionary Entries Near sedentary
Cite this Entry
“Sedentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedentary. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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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