behaviour
Americannoun
noun
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manner of behaving or conducting oneself
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behaving with careful good manners
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psychol
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the aggregate of all the responses made by an organism in any situation
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a specific response of a certain organism to a specific stimulus or group of stimuli
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the action, reaction, or functioning of a system, under normal or specified circumstances
Spelling
See -or 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of behaviour
C15: from behave ; influenced in form by Middle English havior , from Old French havoir , from Latin habēre to have
Explanation
Your behaviour is the way you act in various situations. Note that this word ends with "our," which is the British spelling, while the American English spelling is behavior. This discrepancy is common, and either spelling is correct. The Late Middle English word behavoure meant "to have possession," which seemingly refers to a person in control of his or her actions. If you are accused of childish behaviour, you might be acting as though you have little self-control. Scottish musician Shirley Manson once said: "A lot of celebrities just want money, fame, power, fancy cars, houses all over the world and have people bow down to them. To me, that's frightful behaviour."
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.
The court heard that Parker's behaviour had become "erratic" and he refused repeated attempts by his mother and sister to persuade him to get mental health support.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Galeri in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, announced the change following increasing reports of anti-social behaviour from "some young people" visiting the cinema.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Welsh film critic Gary Slaymaker said he goes to morning screenings to avoid anti-social behaviour, which he claimed had got worse since the pandemic.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
He also faced questions about anti-social behaviour in certain areas, including Ashton-in-Makerfield.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
"It was a great shock to me. Her parents were decent folk, too, who had brought her up very strictly. I'm glad to say they did not condone her behaviour."
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
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.
