behavioral
Americanadjective
-
relating to a person’s manner of behaving or acting.
The program provides academic and behavioral supports for students of concern.
Most of our biggest health risks are largely preventable with behavioral change.
-
Psychology, Animal Behavior. relating to or studying observable activity in a human or animal, often thought of as the aggregate of responses to external and internal stimuli.
This psychiatry textbook offers a thorough discussion of both the behavioral sciences and clinical psychiatry.
Harassment of wild marine mammals has disrupted their behavioral patterns, including migration, breeding, and feeding.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of behavioral
First recorded in 1925–30; behavior ( def. ) + -al 1 ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing behavioral
Evolutionary Biology - Natural Selection - Middle School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Evolutionary Biology - Adaptation
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Evolutionary Biology - Natural Selection - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Loss aversion is a phenomenon in psychology and behavioral economics.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2026
You might have learned as much from the allegory of the emperor’s new clothes or the discoveries of behavioral economics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
“New Stanford” comes with a trio of experts — host Alison Wood Brooks, a behavioral psychologist; “federal corrections professional” Michael Cantrell; and journalist Trymaine Lee — whose contribution amounts to a sort of color commentary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
But Timi Joy Jorgensen, a behavioral finance specialist who works with National Debt Relief, warns against being quick to assume someone who doesn’t pay you back right away is doing it on purpose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
His name and work would become increasingly appreciated as neuroscientists delved beyond behavioral studies and looked at the physical structures of the brain.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
