Dictionary

behavior en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /bɪˈheɪ.vjəɹ/ (Canada, General-American)
• /bɪˈhæɪ.vjə/ (Australia)
• (Texas) audio
• (US) audio
• /bəˈhæɪ.vjə/ (New-Zealand)
• /bɪˈheɪ.vjə/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bider. Proto-Germanic *bi- Proto-West Germanic *bi- substratebor.? Proto-Indo-European *kap-der. Proto-Germanic *habjaną Proto-West Germanic *habbjan Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan Old English behabban Middle English behaven Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habeō Old French avoirbor. Middle English havour Middle English behavoure English behavior From Middle English behavoure, behaver, from behaven (modern behave), morphologically equivalent to behave + -ior. The suffix was adopted in imitation of havour (modern haviour, havior), an etymologically unrelated word that was corrupted from Anglo‐Norman Anglo-Norman aveir and Old French Old French avoir (“property, wealth”) through false association with the native English verb have. The French term derives ultimately from Latin Latin habēre (“to have, hold”). Compare Scots havings (“behavior”), from have (“to behave”). Replaced Old English ġebǣru.

Meanings

1. (US, uncountable, usually) Human conduct relative to social norms.
   • Teachers will probably be on their best behaviour for your visit – but don't be upset if they don't even notice you; they've got enough going on. 2014 September 23, A teacher, “Choosing a primary school: a teacher's guide for parents”, in The Guardian:
2. (US, countable, usually) An inappropriate or forbidden action.
   • When a patient has a behavior, document it in their records.
3. (US, countable, uncountable, usually) The way or manner a living creature behaves or acts generally.
4. (US, informal, uncountable, usually) A state of probation about one's conduct.
   • He was on his best behavior when her family visited.
5. (US, countable, uncountable, usually) An observable response produced by an organism.
6. (US, uncountable, usually) The way a device or system operates.

Forms

Deriveds

routine response behavior · health behavior · behavioristic · behaviormetric · ideal-seeking behavior · body-focused repetitive behavior disorder · disordered money behavior · neurobehavior · human behavior · behaviorceutical · behaviormetrics · behaviorist · macrobehavior · behavioralist · multibehavior · behavioral science · behavior pattern · behavioreme · behavioral · behaviorism · eigenbehavior · photobehavior · behavioralism · behaviorwise · dialectical behavior therapy · misbehavior

Relateds

behave

Synonyms

deportment · demeanor · comportment · conduct

Translations (217)

hu magatartás (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ml സ്വഭാവം (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · fr comportement (way matter or systems behave) · uz xulq (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · cmn 行為 /行为 (way matter or systems behave) · tr davranış (way matter or systems behave) · it comportamento (way matter or systems behave) · vi hành vi (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · as ব্যৱহাৰ (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · fi käytös (way matter or systems behave) · ro comportare (way matter or systems behave) · ru поведе́ние (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · tr tutum (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sk vystupovanie (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · nb oppførsel (way matter or systems behave) · th กิริยา (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ky жүрүш-туруш (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · pl maniery (way matter or systems behave) · syl ꠛꠦꠛꠀꠞ (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · de Verhalten (way matter or systems behave) · ur رَوَیَّہ (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · fa-ira رَفْتار (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ko 행동 (way matter or systems behave) · cmn 舉止 /举止 (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ps چلند (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · lv uzvedība (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · mk однесување (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sv uppförande (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · af gedrag (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sk chovanie (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · de Verhaltensweise (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ca comportament (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · hi सुलूक (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · bg държа́ние (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · km ចរិយា (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · de Benehmen (way matter or systems behave) · he הִתְנַהֲגוּת (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · bn আচরণ (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · te ప్రవర్తన (way matter or systems behave) · bg поведе́ние (way matter or systems behave) · da opførsel (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · cy ymddygiad (in biology and psychology) · af gedrag (in biology and psychology) · ja 振る舞い (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · de Gebaren (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ckb ڕەفتار (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · mi whanonga (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · th จริต (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · it condotta (way matter or systems behave) · km ចរិត (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · mt mġiba (way matter or systems behave) · pl postępowanie (way matter or systems behave) · id sifat (way matter or systems behave) · fr comportement (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · afb سلوك (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · nl gedrag (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · pt comportamento (in biology and psychology) · hi व्यवहार (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · hi बर्ताव (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · as আচৰণ (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ga iompraíocht (way matter or systems behave) · tt тотыш (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ota حركت (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sl obnašanje (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sw tabia (way matter or systems behave) · sk správanie (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · th พฤติกรรม (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · uk поведі́нка (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ja 行動 (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · tk häsiýet (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · pt comportamento (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · bn আচরণ (way matter or systems behave) · got 𐌿𐍃𐌼𐌴𐍄 (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · id perilaku (way matter or systems behave) · th การประพฤติ (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · is hegðun (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · pl zachowanie (in biology and psychology) · ps سلوک (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sh пона́ша̄ње (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ang ġebǣru (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · nb oppførsel (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · fi käyttäytyminen (in biology and psychology) · yue 行為 /行为 (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · eo agmaniero (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ca comportament (way matter or systems behave) · za hingzveiz (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · de Benehmen (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · de Führung (way matter or systems behave) · ba ҡылыҡ (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · yi אויפֿפֿיר (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ar سُلُوك (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · lt elgesys (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · az rəftar (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · km កិរិយា (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · uz qiliq (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ja 行動 (way matter or systems behave) · ky жүрүм-турум (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sv beteende (way matter or systems behave) · br emzalc'h (way matter or systems behave) · af gedrag (way matter or systems behave) · gd dol a-mach (way matter or systems behave) · pl zachowanie (way matter or systems behave) · afb أسلوب (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · my အပြုအမူ (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sh ponášānje (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · lo ການປະພຶດ (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · es comporte (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · tg кирдор (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ia comportamento (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · my အချိုး (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · mi whanonga (way matter or systems behave) · ca comportament (in biology and psychology) · gu આચરણ (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ro comportament (way matter or systems behave) · ur سُلُوک (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · mn зан байдал (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · fi käytös (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · cs chování (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · pt comportamento (way matter or systems behave) · uz xulq-odat (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · kmr reftar (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · gd giùlan (way matter or systems behave) · ml പെരുമാറ്റം (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · de Betragen (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ja 行儀 (way matter or systems behave) · ro comportament (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · uz fe'latvor (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · de Betragen (way matter or systems behave) · hi सलूक (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · si හැසිරීම (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · kk мінез-құлық (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ug قىلىق (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · hu működés (way matter or systems behave) · et käitumine (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · cy ymddygiad (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · id kebiasaan (way matter or systems behave) · da opførsel (way matter or systems behave) · ms perilaku (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · hi आचरण (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · kk құлық (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · pl behawior (in biology and psychology) · tpi pasin (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · hu viselkedés (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ja 反応 (way matter or systems behave) · hi आचरण (way matter or systems behave) · ce лелар (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · br doare d'ober (way matter or systems behave) · sl vedenje (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · th ประพฤติ (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · el συμπεριφορά (way matter or systems behave) · nl gedrag (way matter or systems behave) · it comportamento (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · tg сулук (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · te నడత (way matter or systems behave) · ko 행위 (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · de Verhalten (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · es proceder (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · da adfærd (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · nan-hbl 行為 /行为 (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · pt conduta (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ru поведе́ние (way matter or systems behave) · cmn 行為 /行为 (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · th จริยา (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · be паво́дзіны (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · az qılıq (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · de Verhaltensweise (way matter or systems behave) · ba тәртип (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · fi käyttäytyminen (way matter or systems behave) · eo konduto (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ca conducta (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · bn সুলুক (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ko 행동 (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ko 거동 (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ga iompar (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · pl behawior (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ka საქციელი (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ja 振舞い (way matter or systems behave) · tk boluş (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ar تَصَرُّف (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ar سُلُوك (way matter or systems behave) · mn зан араншин (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · az davranış (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · nb adferd (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · mn зан (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · cs jednání (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · fa-ira سُلوک (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · tt тәртип (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ja 行儀 (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · la actus (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · hu magaviselet (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · el συμπεριφορά (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sv beteende (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sa नीति (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · mn байдал (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ga iompraíocht (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · txb spārttalyñe (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sq sjellje (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · ro purtare (way matter or systems behave) · id tingkah laku (way matter or systems behave) · la actio (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · bg поведе́ние (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · pl zachowanie (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · sv åtfärd (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · he הִתְנַהֲגוּת (way matter or systems behave) · tg рафтор (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · hy վարք (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · nl gedragingen (way matter or systems behave) · nl gedragingen (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · cs chování (way matter or systems behave) · ka ქცევა (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · hi रवैया (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · fr conduite (way matter or systems behave) · fi käyttäytyminen (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · gl comportamento (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · tl ugali (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · te ప్రవర్తన (way an animal or human behaves or acts) · tr davranış (way an animal or human behaves or acts)