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behavior definition

be·hav·ior (bē hāv′yər, bi-)

noun

  1. the way a person behaves or acts; conduct; manners
    1. an organism's responses to stimulation or environment, esp. those responses that can be observed
    2. an instance of behavior; specif., one of a recurring or characteristic pattern of observable actions or responses
  3. the way a machine, element, etc. acts or functions

Etymology: < behave by analogy with ME havior, property < OFr aveir < avoir, to have

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms behavior idiom

medical behavior definition - medical

behavior Synonyms

behavior

n.

  1. Public manner(s)

    conduct, deportment, comportment, bearing, mien, demeanor, air, presence, carriage, manner(s), action(s), attitude(s), way of life, speech, talk, tone, morals, habits, tact, etiquette, protocol, social graces, seemliness, correctness, decorum, form, convention, propriety, management, mode, routine, practice, delivery, formality, style, expression, performance, front, code, role, observance, course, guise, act, deed, ethics, way, ways, dealings, what's done*.

  2. The action of an organism under given circumstances

    function, functioning, adaptation, operation, performance, action, counteraction, execution, act, adjustment, compliance, conduct, response, reaction, reflex, conditioned reflex, typical reaction.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

behavior Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • aggressive: Children who may be meek and withdrawn outside often respond with hostile, aggressive behavior in the playroom.

Converse of object

  • customize: ENVIRONMENT The following environment symbols are useful for customizing the runtime behavior of the ncurses library.

Preposition: as

  • precipitant: Stress and ' Type A ' behavior as precipitants of Post-Polio Sequelae.

Modifies a noun

  • modification: The psychology of polio as prelude to post-polio sequelae: behavior modification and psychotherapy.

Noun used with modifier

  • default: The default behavior is to not limit the size of the file.
behavior usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"behavior." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/behavior>

APA Style

behavior. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/behavior

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