sedentary
SED-ən-ter-ee
Sedentary (adjective) means involving or characterised by much sitting and little physical activity. Example: “Years of sedentary office work left him stiff and out of condition.”
adjective
1
Involving or characterised by much sitting and little physical activity.
"Years of sedentary office work left him stiff and out of condition."
"A sedentary lifestyle raises the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes."
2
biology Of an animal, staying in one place rather than migrating; of a species, fixed to a surface for most of its life.
"Unlike its migratory cousins, this warbler is sedentary and stays on the island all year."
"Barnacles are sedentary once they settle on the rock."
3
anthropology, history Of a people or way of life, settled in one place rather than moving from place to place.
"Farming allowed once-nomadic groups to become sedentary."
How to use sedentary
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSitting down most of the time and not moving much.
When to use it
Neutral; very common in health, fitness and medical writing.
Memory tip
Do not confuse it with sedimentary, which describes rock formed from settled deposits.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
sedentary lifestyle
sedentary behaviour
sedentary job
largely sedentary
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Years of _____ office work left him stiff and out of condition.
Etymology
From Latin sedentarius 'sitting, of one who sits at work', from sedere 'to sit'.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for sedentary
See all rhymes for sedentary →Frequently asked questions
How many hours of sitting counts as sedentary?
Researchers usually define sedentary behaviour as any waking activity done sitting or reclining that burns very little energy, rather than by a fixed number of hours. In practice studies often flag people who sit more than about eight hours a day with little moderate exercise as at raised risk.
What is the difference between sedentary and inactive?
Sedentary describes the sitting itself; inactive means not getting enough exercise. You can be both, but you can also be physically active in the gym and still spend most of the day sedentary, which carries its own health risk.
How do you pronounce sedentary?
SED-ən-ter-ee in American English and SED-ən-tri or SED-ən-tər-ee in British English. The stress is on the first syllable.
What is the meaning of sedentary?
"sedentary" (adjective) means involving or characterised by much sitting and little physical activity.
