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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
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.
Sandra Evans, who manages Bryn Seiont Newydd nursing home in Caernarfon, said they were "very fortunate" to have air conditioning in communal areas.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
At that time, there was only one boat a month, and the journey took up to six days without any air conditioning, while passengers today can pay for more comfortable sleeping cabins.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Electricity demand for air conditioning units is expected to surge, raising concerns about the country’s ability to generate sufficient power.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
It’s got bravery and heart and a masked killer costumed like an air conditioning vent.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
I miss taking long showers and washing and conditioning my hair.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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.
