behavior

[ bih-heyv-yer ]

/ bɪˈheɪv yər /

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See synonyms for: behavior / behaviors / behavioral on Thesaurus.com

noun

manner of behaving or acting.

Psychology, Animal Behavior.

observable activity in a human or animal.
the aggregate of responses to internal and external stimuli.
a stereotyped, species-specific activity, as a courtship dance or startle reflex.

Often behaviors. a behavior pattern.

the action or reaction of any material under given circumstances: the behavior of tin under heat.

OTHER WORDS FOR behavior

1 demeanor, manners; bearing, carriage.

See synonyms for behavior on Thesaurus.com

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Also especially British, be·hav·iour .

Origin of behavior

1375–1425; behave + -ior (on model of havior, variant of havor<Middle French (h)avoir ≪ Latin habēre to have); replacing late Middle English behavoure, behaver.See behave, -or¹

synonym study for behavior

1. 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 WORDS FROM behavior

be·hav·ior·al, adjectivebe·hav·ior·al·ly, adverbin·ter·be·hav·ior, nounin·ter·be·hav·ior·al, adjective

in·ter·be·hav·ior·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use behavior in a sentence

There is the chance that better forecasts and seemingly more favorable conditions could spur riskier behavior on the mountain, according to Matthews.
Everest Summits May Become Easier Due to Climate Change|Kyla Mandel|November 20, 2020|Outside Online
Yet despite the chameleon-like ability of culture to transform behavior, the raw possibility and constraints of human nature, physical and behavioral, are written into our genomes.
With CRISPR, humans can create their own evolutionary future|Adrian Woolfson|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Under the bill, physical restraints could not be included as an option in written behavior and education plans for students with disabilities.
National Ban on School Use of Seclusion and Restraint of Students Introduced in Congress|by Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica and Jennifer Smith Richards, Chicago Tribune|November 19, 2020|ProPublica
Illustrated with vibrant art by Krystal Quiles, the new exhibition looks at how a girl’s behavior, long before she is of voting age, can have political power.
You have until Nov. 22 to visit these six Smithsonian museums. Here’s what to expect.|Kelsey Ables|November 19, 2020|Washington Post

The case comes at a time when multiple universities are being confronted by claims that they long overlooked damaging behavior by employees and, in some cases, paying out massive settlements.
University of Michigan reaches settlement with women who reported sexual harassment by former provost|Susan Svrluga|November 18, 2020|Washington Post
And because millions of us are so keen to do just that, our behavioral habits are changing.
Why Every Home Needs a Drone This Holiday|Charlie Gilbert|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Later, cognitive and behavioral problems can occur; dementia is not uncommon.
The Burden Robin Williams Carried: Diagnosed With Parkinson’s and Depression|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I ask about school performance and behavioral concerns, which can sometimes be dicey.
Kids Don’t Know How Overweight They Really Are|Russell Saunders|July 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many people time their medication usage or implement behavioral changes as soon as they experience their specific aura.
How to Destroy Your Headaches|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How do structural brain changes correlate with emotional and behavioral symptoms?
Study Says Half of Jailed NYC Teens Have History of Brain Injury|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|April 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some human activities and the activities and behavioral patterns of humpback whales may be mutually exclusive.
Humpback Whales in Glacier Bay National Monument, Alaska|United States Department of Commerce, Marine Mammal Commission
Control is necessary to force behavioral change in adversaries to achieve strategic or political ends.
Shock and Awe|Harlan K. Ullman
There may be behavioral differences between ferox and spinifer and muticus.
North American Recent Soft-shelled Turtles (Family Trionychidae)|Robert G. Webb
These are all behavioral adaptations that seem in harmony with its mode of life.
Natural History of the Brush Mouse (Peromyscus boylii) in Kansas With Description of a New Subspecies|Charles A. Long
These size differences are almost certainly correlated with behavioral and ecological differences among the snakes involved.
Natural History of the Racer Coluber constrictor|Henry S. Fitch