behavioral

American  

[bih-heyv-yer-uhl] / bɪˈheɪv yər əl /

especially British, behavioural

adjective

1. relating to a person’s manner of behaving or acting.

   The program provides academic and behavioral supports for students of concern.

   Most of our biggest health risks are largely preventable with behavioral change.

2. Psychology, Animal Behavior. relating to or studying observable activity in a human or animal, often thought of as the aggregate of responses to external and internal stimuli.

   This psychiatry textbook offers a thorough discussion of both the behavioral sciences and clinical psychiatry.

   Harassment of wild marine mammals has disrupted their behavioral patterns, including migration, breeding, and feeding.

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Other Word Forms

• behaviorally
  adverb
• behaviourally
  adverb
• interbehavioral
  adjective
• interbehaviorally
  adverb
• interbehavioural
  adjective
• interbehaviourally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of behavioral

First recorded in 1925–30; behavior ( def. ) + -al ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Richard Maddock, senior author of the study, is a psychiatrist and research professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2026

Kevin can now string together words and has improved understanding between him and family members after years of behavioral and speech therapy supported by Applied Behavioral Analysis, the science of learning and behavior.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Behavioral subscription revenue, which makes up a bigger portion of total sales, fell 18%, dragging overall subscription revenue down 9.6%.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

"Behavioral or nutritional strategies that can keep someone healthy are very on trend right now."

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026

This was because of the stress of looking after someone who has Behavioral Problems like I have.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon