conditioning

American  

[kuhn-dish-uh-ning] / kənˈdɪʃ ə nɪŋ /

noun

Psychology.

conditionings plural

1. 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.

2. 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.

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conditioning British  

/ kənˈdɪʃənɪŋ /

noun

1. psychol the learning process by which the behaviour of an organism becomes dependent on an event occurring in its environment See also classical conditioning instrumental learning

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adjective

1. (of a shampoo, cosmetic, etc) intended to improve the condition of something

   a conditioning rinse

conditioning Scientific  

/ kən-dĭsh′ə-nĭng /

1. See classical conditioning

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-conditioning
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• conditionings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of conditioning

First recorded in 1915–20; condition + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

"Instead of just lowering blood sugar like most medications, this plant extract appears to help the body regain its natural metabolic balance. The implications could extend beyond diabetes to other conditions involving insulin resistance."

From Science Daily • Nov. 7, 2025

That’s why it’s promising when it comes to conditions involving memory.

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2025

They are a group of about 40 conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs that develop in the womb.

From BBC • Aug. 8, 2024

The results pave the way for clinical trials and may even have broader application in other conditions involving cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease.

From Scientific American • Sep. 1, 2022

Abnormal states of this sort arise from excitement, excessive mental work, or other conditions involving severe nerve strain.

From Vitality Supreme by Macfadden, Bernarr

Related Words

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