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sed·en·tar·y

(sĕdn-tĕr′ē)

adj.

1. Characterized by or requiring much sitting: a sedentary job.

2. Accustomed to sitting or to taking little exercise.

3. Remaining or living in one area; not migratory: sedentary caribou herds.

4. Attached or rooted; sessile: sedentary marine organisms.

[French sédentaire, from Old French, from Latin sedentārius, from sedēns, sedent-, present participle of sedēre, to sit; see sed- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

sed′en·tari·ly (-târə-lē) adv.

seden·tar′i·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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