stationary

From Latin stationarius, from statio, ultimately from stō (“to stand”). Doublet of stationer.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈsteɪʃ(ə)n(ə)ɹi/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (US) enPR: stāʹshə-nĕr'ē, IPA^(key): /ˈsteɪʃəˌnɛɹi/
• Homophone: stationery
• Hyphenation: sta‧tion‧ary

stationary (not comparable)

1. Not moving.

   The train remained stationary for a few moments, before lurching forward along the track.

2. incapable of being moved
3. unchanging

• (not moving): fixed, immobile, motionless, still, stock-still, unmoving
• (incapable of being moved): immobile, unmoveable
• (unchanging): changeless, constant, immutable, unchanging

• (not moving): in motion, moving, on the move
• (incapable of being moved): mobile, moveable
• (unchanging): changing, mutable, variable

stationary (plural stationaries)

1. (obsolete, rare) One who, or that which, is stationary, such as a planet when apparently it has neither progressive nor retrograde motion.
   • 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book II.]”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the VVorld. Commonly Called, The Natvrall Historie of C. Plinivs Secvndus. […], (please specify |tome=1 or 2), London: […] Adam Islip, published 1635, →OCLC:

     As also, that then they [the planets] are Stationaries in their houses which be in the middle points of the latitudes, which they cal eclipticks.

2. Misspelling of stationery.

• stationary point
• stationery