sedimentary

adjective

sed·​i·​men·​ta·​ry ˌse-də-ˈmen-tə-rē How to pronounce sedimentary (audio)
-ˈmen-trē
1
: of, relating to, or containing sediment
sedimentary deposits
2
: formed by or from deposits of sediment
sedimentary rock

Examples of sedimentary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The world produces so much plastic (more than 400 million metric tons a year, according to one estimate—roughly the combined weight of every human alive) that degraded nubbins coat the planet, detectable in the sedimentary depths of the Mariana Trench and the icy heights of Mount Everest. Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 7 July 2025 Both current Mars rover missions – Curiosity climbing Mount Sharp in Gale crater and Perseverance exploring the river delta in Jezero Crater – have discovered carbonates, in the sedimentary rock that form Mount Sharp, and stretching tens of kilometers along the rim of Jezero. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 July 2025 These cements are the same materials that bind together natural sedimentary rocks, but the chemical reactions cause the process to happen much faster. David Bressan, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 Ocean strontium values change over time, which makes measuring the levels of the chemical element a unique global system for determining the age of similar coastal sedimentary rock deposits worldwide. Bruce J. MacFadden, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sedimentary

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sedimentary was in 1830

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Cite this Entry

“Sedimentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedimentary. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

sedimentary

adjective
sed·​i·​men·​ta·​ry ˌsed-ə-ˈment-ə-rē How to pronounce sedimentary (audio)
-ˈmen-trē
1
: of, relating to, or containing sediment
2
: formed by or from sediment
sedimentary rock
compare igneous, metamorphic

More from Merriam-Webster on sedimentary

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