Origin: Latin suffix -ary
Stationary has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
One who, or that which, is stationary, such as a planet when apparently it has neither progressive nor retrograde motion.
"When observed from Earth, Mars can appear as a stationary point in the sky before resuming its backward journey."
In plain English: A stationary is an old-fashioned word for something that stays in one place and does not move.
"The stationery was all scattered across his messy desk while he looked for an envelope to mail his letter."
Usage: This noun refers to an object appearing fixed in the sky without forward or backward movement relative to Earth's orbit. Use this term specifically for astronomical contexts rather than general objects that simply do not move.
Not moving.
"The heavy truck remained stationary at the red light until it turned green."
Stationary comes from the Latin word statio, which means a standing place or position. The term entered English through French and originally described something that was fixed in one spot rather than moving.