behavior

[ bih-heyv-yer ]

noun

1. manner of behaving or acting.

   Synonyms: carriage, bearing, demeanor

2. 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.
3. Often be·hav·iors. a behavior pattern.
4. the action or reaction of any material under given circumstances:

   the behavior of tin under heat.

behavior

/ bĭ-hāv′yər /

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

Other Words From

• be·hav·ior·al adjective
• in·ter·be·hav·ior noun

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 habēre “to have”); replacing late Middle English behavoure, behaver; -or ¹( def )

Idioms and Phrases

see on one's best behavior .

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.

Example Sentences

When the modified chlorophyll was dissolved in different solvents, the chlorophyll rosettes displayed a remarkable behavior.

From Science Daily

By the beginning of the Cambrian explosion of multicellular organisms about 540 million years ago, the ancestors of today’s ecdysozoans were already alive and varied in form and behavior, suggesting they arose even earlier.

From Science Magazine

"We have identified a strong link between this positive social behavior, known to elicit joyous emotions, and some of the more intricate forms of cooperation seen in non-human species."

From Science Daily

Scientists at The Ohio State University see this study of consumer behavior as an initial effort to consider the effects of these increasingly popular anti-obesity drugs on food production and waste nationally and globally.

From Science Daily

Strictly using observational methods to analyze the behaviors of civets have suggested insufficient.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• act
• action
• attitude
• conduct
• demeanor
• management
• nature
• performance
• practice
• presence
• role
• style