behavior

American  

[bih-heyv-yer] / bɪˈheɪv yər /

especially British, behaviour

noun

1. manner of behaving or acting.

   Synonyms:

   carriage, bearing, demeanor

2. Psychology, Animal Behavior.

   1. observable activity in a human or animal.

   2. the aggregate of responses to internal and external stimuli.

   3. a stereotyped, species-specific activity, as a courtship dance or startle reflex.

3. Often behaviors. a behavior pattern.

4. the action or reaction of any material under given circumstances.

   the behavior of tin under heat.

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behavior Scientific  

/ bĭ-hāv′yər /

1. The actions displayed by an organism in response to its environment.

2. One of these actions. Certain animal behaviors (such as nest building) result from instinct, while others (such as hunting) must be learned.

3. The manner in which a physical system, such as a gas, subatomic particle, or ecosystem, acts or functions, especially under specified conditions.

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behavior Idioms  

1. see on one's best behavior.

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Related Words

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

• behavioral adjective
• interbehavior noun

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; -or ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Erin Moriarity started saving and investing in her teens, and was “aggressively chasing FIRE” as a young adult “through very traditional behaviors: working, budgeting, and saving and investing,” she told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch

It has also forced a gradual change in people’s behavior to align with the government’s goal of limiting the spread of incriminating information.

From The Wall Street Journal

It demonstrates how tiny mechanical forces at the microscopic level can shape the growth and behavior of structures in the human body.

From Science Daily

According to Born, the findings could help scientists refine predictions about the future behavior of the Greenland ice sheet.

From Science Daily

Rafael Mangual, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, attributes falling crime in the U.S. partly to people’s changing behavior, including diminished alcohol use.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• act
• action
• attitude
• conduct
• demeanor
• management
• nature
• performance
• practice
• presence
• role
• style