comportment
Americannoun
noun
Synonym Usage
See behavior.
Etymology
Origin of comportment
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French comportement; see 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."
Vocabulary lists containing comportment
The Nickel Boys
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White Fang
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Nickel and Dimed
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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.
Irene drummed into her charge the importance of manners, religion, education and comportment, which serve Vernice well as she moves into a world beyond her hometown.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
It’s a brilliant commentary on the all-too-familiar bodily comportment and fixed gaze of the modern digital citizen.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2025
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
His comportment toward referees and teammates has left something to be desired for years, and it has worsened despite his pledges to rein in his emotions.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 27, 2023
He became annoyed at Tal's comportment at and away from the board.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
