behavior
Americannoun
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behaviors
plural
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manner of behaving or acting.
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Psychology, Animal Behavior.
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observable activity in a human or animal.
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the aggregate of responses to internal and external stimuli.
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a stereotyped, species-specific activity, as a courtship dance or startle reflex.
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Often behaviors. a behavior pattern.
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the action or reaction of any material under given circumstances.
the behavior of tin under heat.
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The actions displayed by an organism in response to its environment.
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One of these actions. Certain animal behaviors (such as nest building) result from instinct, while others (such as hunting) must be learned.
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The manner in which a physical system, such as a gas, subatomic particle, or ecosystem, acts or functions, especially under specified conditions.
Synonym Usage
Behavior, conduct, deportment, comportment refer to one's actions before or toward others, especially on a particular occasion. Behavior refers to actions usually measured by commonly accepted standards: His behavior at the party was childish. Conduct refers to actions viewed collectively, especially as measured by an ideal standard: Conduct is judged according to principles of ethics. Deportment is behavior related to a code or to an arbitrary standard: Deportment is guided by rules of etiquette. The teacher gave Susan a mark of B in deportment. Comportment is behavior as viewed from the standpoint of one's management of one's own actions: His comportment was marked by a quiet assurance.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of behavior
First recorded in 1375–1425; behave ( def. ) + -ior (on model of havior, variant of havor, from Middle French (h)avoir “a having,” ultimately from Latin habēre “to have”); replacing late Middle English behavoure, behaver; see -or 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Behavior refers to how you conduct yourself. Generally, it’s wise to engage in good behavior, even if you're really bored. The noun behavior is a spin-off of the verb behave. Get rid of the be in behave and you're left with have, which makes sense: you could say that to behave is to "have" or "own" yourself — to control yourself. There's also a broader definition of behavior, which is basically anything any living thing does in any situation. Brushing your teeth? Behavior. Scratching your nose? Behavior. Eating a large antelope because you are a lion and you're hungry? Also behavior.
Vocabulary lists containing behavior
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Growth, Development and Reproduction of Organisms - Middle School
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Growth, Development and Reproduction of Organisms - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Sara’s not sure what she’s supposed to make of Scott’s behavior, and she certainly doesn’t feel comfortable confronting him, not knowing what the company norms are.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Another group reduced calorie intake by 25%, while the control group made no changes to its usual behavior.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake catch and tag the chi to better understand their behavior.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Had you written to me before you acquiesced, I would have told you to pay it, but beware of this behavior going forward.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
I am not sure what to make of this unusual behavior.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Researchers caution that it is still too early to connect specific biological traits directly to particular behaviors or lifestyle choices.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
In fact, substituting toys for all hazards and unwanted behaviors are excellent protective measures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Maybe these deceptive and independent behaviors were a desperate bid to disguise its inadequacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
“Boycotts can beget other boycotts, so there could be global risk to sales of U.S. business jets depending on how sentiment and behaviors change,” the Capital Alpha analysts wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
This can mean being honest about your own behaviors or emotions, or confronting truths with people who harmed you, as Terryl did, and Linton did, and still struggles to do.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
