Stationary means not moving or not intended to be moved. It describes objects, people, or situations that stay in one place or do not change position.
From Latin “stationarius” meaning “belonging to a station,” from “statio” meaning “standing place,” from “stare” meaning “to stand.” The idea is of something that stays put at its station.
People often confuse ‘stationary’ with ‘stationery’ (paper and envelopes), but the ‘a’ one is about staying still—think of ‘stay’ and ‘stand.’ A stationary bike doesn’t go anywhere, but it can still make you very tired.
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