Definition of "sedentary" [sed•en•ta•ry]

• Characterized by or requiring much sitting: a sedentary job. (adjective)
• Accustomed to sitting or to taking little exercise. (adjective)
• Remaining or living in one area, as certain birds; not migratory. (adjective)
• Attached to a surface and not moving freely, as a barnacle. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "In general it appears that a man or a woman whose occupation is what we call sedentary, who is without vigorous exercise and does but little hard muscular work, needs much less than the man at hard manual labor, and that the brain worker needs comparatively little of carbohydrates or fats."
• "Charlene Burgeson, executive director of the National Association for Sport & Physical Education, a group of physical education and sports professionals, says, This study reinforces the importance of all youth being physically active, spending minimal time in sedentary activities such as TV watching, and maintaining a healthy weight."
• "In the United States, a study involving 43,757 male health professionals some of whom were described as sedentary or overweight, or were smokers, or both found that those consuming more than 25 grams of fiber per day had a 36 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than those who consumed less than 15 grams daily."