Pavlovian

American

[pav-loh-vee-uhn, -law-, -lov-ee-] / pævˈloʊ vi ən, -ˈlɔ-, -ˈlɒv i- /

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Pavlov or his work, especially of experiments in which he elicited predictable responses from laboratory animals.

Pavlovian British

/ pævˈləʊvɪən /

adjective

of or relating to the work of Ivan Pavlov
(of a reaction or response) automatic; involuntary

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Pavlovian

First recorded in 1925–30; Pavlov + -ian

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.

See Examples For:

Pavlovian

O’Neill, who won the Derby in 2012 and 2016, also will start Pavlovian, who won the Sunland Park Derby and was second in the Louisiana Derby.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

To better understand this relationship, researchers studied rodent brain tissue and monitored the behavior of rats during Pavlovian cue-reward tests.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 10, 2025

Is the press merely operating in Pavlovian fashion, in the same manner they clean up grammar and usage according to the AP style manual?

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2024

It’s like hearing the sizzle of fajitas being paraded through a dining room, creating a Pavlovian response.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 24, 2024

The bell rang, saving me, and we all rose like Pavlovian dogs, eager to run to our next classes.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023