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behavior

[ bih-heyv-yer ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

manner of behaving or acting.
Synonyms: , ,
Psychology, Animal Behavior.
1. observable activity in a human or animal.
2. the aggregate of responses to internal and external stimuli.
3. a stereotyped, species-specific activity, as a courtship dance or startle reflex.
Often ��·�󲹱�·��ǰ��. a behavior pattern.
the action or reaction of any material under given circumstances:
the behavior of tin under heat.

behavior

The actions displayed by an organism in response to its environment.
One of these actions. Certain animal behaviors (such as nest building) result from instinct , while others (such as hunting) must be learned.
The manner in which a physical system, such as a gas, subatomic particle, or ecosystem, acts or functions, especially under specified conditions.

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Other Word Forms

��·�󲹱�·��ǰ�·�� adjective
��·�ٱ��·��·�󲹱�·��ǰ� noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of behavior¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; behave ( def ) + -ior (on model of havior, variant of havor, from Middle French (h)avoir “a having,” ultimately from Latin �󲹲�ŧ�� “to have”); replacing late Middle English behavoure, behaver; -or ¹( def )

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Idioms and Phrases

see on one's best behavior .

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Synonym Study

Behavior, conduct, deportment, comportment refer to one's actions before or toward others, especially on a particular occasion. Behavior refers to actions usually measured by commonly accepted standards: His behavior at the party was childish. Conduct refers to actions viewed collectively, especially as measured by an ideal standard: Conduct is judged according to principles of ethics. Deportment is behavior related to a code or to an arbitrary standard: Deportment is guided by rules of etiquette. The teacher gave Susan a mark of B in deportment. Comportment is behavior as viewed from the standpoint of one's management of one's own actions: His comportment was marked by a quiet assurance.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Captive urban lizards showed more information-seeking behaviors, such as tongue flicking and head scanning.

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Responding to an activist calling for a boycott of Rowling-associated brands, Pascal commented on Instagram that Rowling was exhibiting "heinous loser behavior" and spouting "awful disgusting s**t" about trans women.

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“In March, China bought more soybeans from Brazil in one month than ever in their history. Favorable exchange rates and no tariff barriers led to that procurement behavior,” he said.

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State prisoners often end up serving less time because of credit for rehabilitative programs and good behavior, but the suggestion that Ortega-Anguiano could walk free riled Trump administration officials.

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Born and raised in an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C., his younger years were plagued with what he called “complete buffoonery” — street fights, misplaced aggression and behavior that resulted in multiple arrests.

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Related Words

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

behave behavioral

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