Word origin · etymology
Latin-derived English adjective.
Stationary belongs to the station family, from Latin statio, a standing. The term names an apparent pause in a body's longitudinal movement.
How we know · epistemology
Instantaneous motion criterion
A station is located by solving for zero longitudinal speed in a specified frame. A display that rounds a small speed to zero is not an exact station; practical station windows require a separately declared tolerance.
Connected concepts
Terms used in this explanation
Mentioned in 1 other entry
These links connect subjects and terminology. They do not establish a shared historical origin.
Sources & provenance
Use the citations beside each section to distinguish a calculation convention, a historical teaching and an editorial example.