stationary
adjective
Did you know?
stationary or stationery?
The Internet is awash with mnemonics (“something (such as a word, a sentence, or a song) that helps people remember something“) designed to assist those who have trouble distinguishing between two similar words. A fair share of these turn out to be for the words stationery and stationary. The most commonly suggested method is to remember that you buy papER at a stationERy store. If this trick does not work for you, then perhaps it will help to remember that a stationery store is one that is run by a stationer. This word was originally applied to a bookseller, but by the middle of the 17th century it began to be used for a person who sells papers, pens, and office goods.
Examples of stationary in a Sentence
Smithsonian, June 2005
By pushing the keys with the side of his fist and pushing foot pedals, the player transfers mechanical force to clappers, which strike the stationary bells, which are tuned to specific notes.
—Douglas Martin, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2003
And while atomic reactors and chemical storage facilities are the sort of stationary targets that invite bombing, bioweapons laboratory materials are small enough to be put in a truck and moved to another location.
—Gregg Easterbrook, New Republic, 25 Feb. 2002
The weather front has remained stationary over the Southeast.
a stationary bicycle is good for exercise, but you won't enjoy the scenery very much
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 18 July 2025
Atlas 15 is supposed to move NOAA, and those who depend on the agency, from an assumption that the climate is stationary, to a recognition that precipitation extremes are in the process of changing due largely to the burning of fossil fuels for energy and transportation.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 16 July 2025
Both letters received by Lindsey McLeod McCrory after her daughter’s death were written on camp stationary, with the first detailing her experiences at the Christian summer camp.
—Mike Stunson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2025
When folded, the assembly, which included compartments for stationary and writing paraphernalia, could be used as a writing desk.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for stationary
Cite this Entry
“Stationary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stationary. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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stationary
adjective
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stationary
adjective
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