Meaning & use

sedentary

adjective·Everyday

Involving a great deal of sitting and little physical movement or exercise.

See it in a sentence

Her sedentary desk job left little room for exercise during the week.

Doctors warn that a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of heart disease.

A note on using this word

Sedentary describes habits, jobs, or lifestyles, not personalities; it pairs commonly with words like lifestyle, job, or work.

Words with a similar meaning

inactivedesk-bound

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. adjective

(of an animal) remaining in one place rather than moving around or migrating.

Barnacles are sedentary animals that attach themselves to rocks for life.

Make it your own

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