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 sta·tion·ar·ies.

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

Usage

See stationery

Derived Forms

• ˈstationarily, adverb
• ˈstationariness, noun

Other Words From

• non·station·ary adjective noun plural nonstationaries
• quasi-station·ary adjective
• un·station·ary 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

A teenage girl who died after being hit by a car after leaving a stationary police vehicle on the M5, has been named.

From BBC

Zemeckis maintains the frames-within-frames conceit as a transitional flourish in the film version of “Here,” but the plot itself is more about jumping around in time while maintaining the stationary camera.

From Los Angeles Times

One of the UK's most high-profile train accidents of last year was in September 2023, when the Flying Scotsman collided with stationary carriages at Aviemore Station in the Scottish Highlands, injuring two people.

From BBC

Hidden in the rubble were the falafel restaurant whose owner learned his trade over the border in Acre, Israel; the sweets shop; the stationary store that was a one-stop shop for kids returning to school.

From Los Angeles Times

Pacheco taunted a stationary Cyborg, demanding engagement in the centre of the cage, before securing a takedown of her own and controlling the action on the ground.

From BBC

Related Words

• immobile
• motionless
• parked
• stagnant
• static

Stationary Vs. Stationery

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.

Quiz yourself on stationary vs. stationery!

Should stationary or stationery be used in the following sentence?

I love writing letters on hotel _____.