conditioning
Americannoun
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Also called operant conditioning, instrumental conditioning. a process of changing behavior by rewarding or punishing a subject each time an action is performed until the subject associates the action with pleasure or distress.
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Also called classical conditioning, Pavlovian conditioning, respondent conditioning. a process in which a stimulus that was previously neutral, as the sound of a bell, comes to evoke a particular response, as salivation, by being repeatedly paired with another stimulus that normally evokes the response, as the taste of food.
noun
adjective
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Origin of conditioning
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.
It pioneered innovations such as no-bleed engine technology, which uses electric generators to power air conditioning and anti-ice systems.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
On days that aren’t too hot, they turn on a dashboard fan to help with ventilation rather than crank up the air conditioning, which burns fuel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
You’d think with the tremendous advances in sports medicine, year-round conditioning and, yes, “load management,” players of all sports would be healthier than ever.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
And finally, they’ll examine why the UK and Europe are still so resistant to air conditioning despite being plagued by deadly heatwaves.
From Slate • May 30, 2026
In 1936, air- conditioning was a rarity, found only in a few theaters and department stores, so escape was nearly impossible.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
