What does "sedentary" mean?

Sedentary: Characterized by, or requiring, much sitting; as, a sedentary employment; a sedentary life. Any education that confined itself to sedentary pursuits was essentially imperfect. Beaconsfield.

Additional senses

2.Inactive; motionless; sluggish; hence, calm; tranquil. [R.] "The sedentary earth." Milton. The soul, considered abstractly from its passions, is of a remiss, sedentary nature. Spectator.
3.Caused by long sitting. [Obs.] "Sedentary numbness." Milton.
4.(Zoöl.) Remaining in one place, especially when firmly attached to some object; as, the oyster is a sedentary mollusk; the barnacles are sedentary crustaceans. Sedentary spider (Zoöl.), one of a tribe of spiders which rest motionless until their prey is caught in their web.

Sources

Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00