stationary

[stey-shuh-ner-ee]

adjective

1. standing still; not moving.

2. having a fixed position; not movable.

3. established in one place; not itinerant or migratory.

4. remaining in the same condition or state; not changing.

   The market price has remained stationary for a week.

5. geostationary.

noun

plural

stationaries 

1. a person or thing that is stationary.

stationary

/ ˈsteɪʃənərɪ /

adjective

1. not moving; standing still

2. not able to be moved

3. showing no change

   the doctors said his condition was stationary

4. tending to remain in one place

Confusables Note

See stationery

Other Word Forms

• stationarily adverb
• stationariness noun
• nonstationary adjective
• quasi-stationary adjective
• unstationary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stationary¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word statiōnārius. See station, -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of stationary¹

C15: from Latin statiōnārius , from statiō _station

Example Sentences

Daniels: You wouldn’t think that selling stationary was a particularly hilarious or glamorous place to set a show.

From Los Angeles Times

Met Office Senior Scientist Michael Kendon says long-term averages can only truly represent our current climate if it is stationary.

From BBC

OK, one equally memorable bit of movement: using the arms, legs and backs of several male dancers as a living stationary bike in “La Bicicleta.”

From Los Angeles Times

In April 2021, two foreign workers died and more than a dozen were wounded after the lorry they were in crashed into a stationary flat-bed truck.

From BBC

A Tube train that had been held stationary then began to search the track and ran him over.

From BBC

Related Words

• immobile 
• motionless 
• parked www.thesaurus.com
• stagnant 
• static 

When To Use

What’s the difference between stationary and stationery?

Stationary with an a is typically used as an adjective that means standing still, fixed in place, or not moving, as in a stationary bike or Face the camera and try to remain stationary. Stationery with an e is a noun that refers to paper for writing or writing materials. It most commonly refers to nice paper for writing, such as fancy notecards or special monogrammed paper for writing letters—you normally wouldn’t call just any old paper stationery.The two words mean completely different things, so the trick is remembering which spelling to use for each.Try this: think of the a in stationary as standing for anchor, which keeps it fixed in place. Think of the e in stationery as standing for envelope.Here’s an example of stationary and stationery used correctly in a sentence.Example: If you think about it, paperweights were invented to keep stationery stationary.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between stationary and stationery.