comportment

American  

[kuhm-pawrt-muhnt, -pohrt-] / kəmˈpɔrt mənt, -ˈpoʊrt- /

noun

1. personal bearing or conduct; demeanor; behavior.

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comportment British  

/ kəmˈpɔːtmənt /

noun

1. conduct; bearing

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Related Words

See behavior.

Etymology

Origin of comportment

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French comportement; comport ¹, -ment

Explanation

Your comportment is the way you act, especially when you behave well. You might compliment a patient little boy on his comportment as he waits in line for a turn on the swings. You can use the noun comportment to describe both the way a person behaves and also the way he carries himself — his general manner. A queen's comportment is usually regal, a bit stiff, and dignified. The comportment of a bunch of little kids at an amusement park is very different. The Middle French root is comportement, "bearing or behavior," from the Latin comportare, "to bring together or collect."

Example Sentences

Mr. Erving set the standard, for Michael Jordan and other future high-flying stars, with his on-court prowess and his off-court comportment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Yes, ordinary Americans defeated would-be emperors in the past through political participation, nonviolent confrontation, decency of comportment — and a few self-evident truths.

From Salon • Aug. 2, 2025

If the expansion of Ciclovía to link rich north and poor south was a test of civic comportment, it worked.

From Slate • Dec. 22, 2024

Riley certainly has called into question whether he has the comportment required to clean up his personal Chernobyl.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2024

You think of all the films you’ve seen, Audie Murphy and Gary Cooper and the Cisco Kid, all those heroes, and you can’t help falling back on them as models of proper comportment.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien