sedentary

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈsɛd.ən.tɛɹ.i/ UK /ˈsɛd.ən.tə.ɹi/ See IPA manual

Freq #54214

Meanings

1

adj
Involving a lot of sitting and little physical activity.

A sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of heart disease.
2

adj
Staying in one place rather than moving around or migrating.

Oysters are sedentary creatures that attach themselves to rocks.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · staying in one place rather... immobilenon-migratorysettled

More cessantdormant inactive motionless stationary torpid

Opposites

migratory

Word family

Derived forms endosedentarynonsedentarysedentarilysedentarinesssedentarismsedentarizationsemisedentaryunsedentary

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

sedentary life
a way of living that involves much sitting and little physical activity

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Sedentary entered English in the late 16th century and ultimately derives from Latin sedere, “to sit.” It belongs to the same historical word family as seat, sedative, sediment, and session.

Etymology

From Middle French sédentaire, from Latin sedentārius (“sitting”), from sedeō (“to sit, to be seated”).

*sed- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# sedentary

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈsɛd.ən.tɛɹ.i/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈsɛd.ən.tə.ɹi/
**Frequency rank:** 54214

## Meanings
1. Involving a lot of sitting and little physical activity.
2. Staying in one place rather than moving around or migrating.

## Examples
- A sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of heart disease.
- Oysters are sedentary creatures that attach themselves to rocks.

## Synonyms
- cessant
- dormant
- inactive
- motionless
- stationary
- torpid

## Antonyms
- migratory

## Derived Forms
- endosedentary
- nonsedentary
- sedentarily
- sedentariness
- sedentarism
- sedentarization
- semisedentary
- unsedentary

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *sed-

## Etymology
From Middle French sédentaire, from Latin sedentārius (“sitting”), from sedeō (“to sit, to be seated”).

## AI Etymology
Sedentary is from Middle French sédentaire, from Latin sedentārius (“sitting”), from sedeō (“to sit, to be seated”). In present-day use, it can mean involving a lot of sitting and little physical activity, or staying in one place rather than moving around or migrating. Derived formations include endosedentary, nonsedentary, sedentarily, sedentariness, sedentarism.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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