conditioning

American

[kuhn-dish-uh-ning] / kənˈdɪʃ ə nɪŋ /

noun

Psychology.

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.
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.

conditioning Scientific

/ kən-dĭsh′ə-nĭng /

See classical conditioning

Other Word Forms

self-conditioning adjective

Etymology

Origin of conditioning

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

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.

They included the heating, the plumbing, and the air conditioning.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Jordan, another U.S. regional ally that is also energy-starved, took similar steps, enacting bans on air conditioning in government offices and private use of government vehicles.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

People in Thailand have been told to keep air conditioning at 26-27C, while all government agencies have been told to work from home.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Asian nations have implemented measures like four-day workweeks, school closures, and air conditioning bans to cut energy demand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

But my lack of conditioning caught up with me on the final tumbling pass.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

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