Meanings
nounbehavior (usually uncountable, plural behaviors)
plural behaviors · alternative UK behaviour · alternative obsolete behavoure · alternative obsolete behavier · alternative obsolete behavor · alternative obsolete behavour
- USuncountableusuallyHuman 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 - UScountableusuallyAn inappropriate or forbidden action.
When a patient has a behavior, document it in their records.
- UScountableuncountableusuallyThe way or manner a living creature behaves or acts generally.
- USinformaluncountableusuallyA state of probation about one's conduct.
He was on his best behavior when her family visited.
- UScountableuncountableusuallybiologyAn observable response produced by an organism.
- USuncountableusuallyThe way a device or system operates.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances
Similar
Broader
noun(behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people
Broader
noun(psychology) the aggregate of the responses or reactions or movements made by an organism in any situation
Similar
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁ep-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁éps
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁épi
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁pi
- Proto-Germanic*bi
- Proto-Germanic*bi-
- Proto-West Germanic*bi-
- Proto-Indo-European*kap-
- Proto-Germanic*habjaną
- Proto-West Germanic*habbjan
- Proto-West Germanic*bihabbjan
- Old Englishbehabban
- Middle Englishbehaven
- Proto-Indo-European*gʰeh₁bʰ-
- Proto-Indo-European*gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti
- Proto-Italic*haβēō
- Latinhabeō
- Old Frenchavoir
- Middle Englishhavour
- Middle Englishbehavoure
- Englishbehavior
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.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans gedrag, gedrag
- gedragway an animal or human behaves or acts
- gedragin biology and psychology
- gedragway matter or systems behave
Arabic سُلُوك, تَصَرُّف
- سُلُوك (sulūk)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- تَصَرُّف (taṣarruf)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- سُلُوك (sulūk)way matter or systems behave
Bengali আচরণ, সুলুক
- আচরণ (acoron)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- সুলুক (śuluk)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- আচরণ (acoron)way matter or systems behave
Bulgarian поведе́ние, държа́ние
- поведе́ние (povedénie)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- държа́ние (dăržánie)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- поведе́ние (povedénie)way matter or systems behave
Catalan conducta, comportament
- conductaway an animal or human behaves or acts
- comportamentway an animal or human behaves or acts
- comportamentin biology and psychology
- comportamentway matter or systems behave
Chinese Cantonese 行為 /行为
- 行為 /行为way an animal or human behaves or acts
Chinese Mandarin 行為 /行为, 舉止 /举止
- 行為 /行为 (xíngwéi)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- 舉止 /举止 (jǔzhǐ)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- 行為 /行为 (xíngwéi)way matter or systems behave
Czech chování, jednání
- chováníway an animal or human behaves or acts
- jednáníway an animal or human behaves or acts
- chováníway matter or systems behave
Danish opførsel, adfærd
- opførselway an animal or human behaves or acts
- adfærdway an animal or human behaves or acts
- opførselway matter or systems behave
Dutch gedrag, gedragingen
- gedragway an animal or human behaves or acts
- gedragingenway an animal or human behaves or acts
- gedragway matter or systems behave
- gedragingenway matter or systems behave
Esperanto konduto, agmaniero
- kondutoway an animal or human behaves or acts
- agmanieroway an animal or human behaves or acts
Estonian käitumine
- käitumineway an animal or human behaves or acts
Finnish käytös, käyttäytyminen
- käytösway an animal or human behaves or acts
- käyttäytyminenway an animal or human behaves or acts
- käyttäytyminenin biology and psychology
- käytösway matter or systems behave
- käyttäytyminenway matter or systems behave
French comportement, comportement
- comportementway an animal or human behaves or acts
- comportementway matter or systems behave
- conduiteway matter or systems behave
German Verhalten, Benehmen
- Verhaltenway an animal or human behaves or acts
- Benehmenway an animal or human behaves or acts
- Betragenway an animal or human behaves or acts
- Verhaltensweiseway an animal or human behaves or acts
- Gebarenway an animal or human behaves or acts
- Verhaltenway matter or systems behave
- Betragenway matter or systems behave
- Benehmenway matter or systems behave
- Verhaltensweiseway matter or systems behave
- Führungway matter or systems behave
Greek συμπεριφορά, συμπεριφορά
- συμπεριφορά (symperiforá)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- συμπεριφορά (symperiforá)way matter or systems behave
Hebrew הִתְנַהֲגוּת, הִתְנַהֲגוּת
- הִתְנַהֲגוּת (hitnahagút)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- הִתְנַהֲגוּת (hitnahagút)way matter or systems behave
Hindi बर्ताव, व्यवहार
- बर्ताव (bartāv)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- व्यवहार (vyavhār)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- आचरण (ācraṇ)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- सलूक (salūk)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- सुलूक (sulūk)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- रवैया (ravaiyā)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- आचरण (ācraṇ)way matter or systems behave
Hungarian magatartás, viselkedés
- magatartásway an animal or human behaves or acts
- viselkedésway an animal or human behaves or acts
- magaviseletway an animal or human behaves or acts
- működésway matter or systems behave
Icelandic hegðun
- hegðunway an animal or human behaves or acts
Indonesian tingkah laku, perilaku
- tingkah lakuway matter or systems behave
- perilakuway matter or systems behave
- sifatway matter or systems behave
- kebiasaanway matter or systems behave
Irish iompar, iompraíocht
- iomparway an animal or human behaves or acts
- iompraíochtway an animal or human behaves or acts
- iompraíochtway matter or systems behave
Italian comportamento, comportamento
- comportamentoway an animal or human behaves or acts
- comportamentoway matter or systems behave
- condottaway matter or systems behave
Japanese 振る舞い, 行儀
- 振る舞い (furumai)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- 行儀 (gyōgi)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- 行動 (kōdō)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- 振舞い (furumai)way matter or systems behave
- 行儀 (gyōgi)way matter or systems behave
- 行動 (kōdō)way matter or systems behave
- 反応 (hannō)way matter or systems behave
Korean 행위, 행동
- 행위 (haeng'wi)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- 행동 (haengdong)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- 거동 (geodong)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- 행동 (haengdong)way matter or systems behave
Latin actio, actus
- actioway an animal or human behaves or acts
- actusway an animal or human behaves or acts
Latvian uzvedība
- uzvedībaway an animal or human behaves or acts
Lithuanian elgesys
- elgesysway an animal or human behaves or acts
Malay perilaku
- perilakuway an animal or human behaves or acts
Māori whanonga, whanonga
- whanongaway an animal or human behaves or acts
- whanongaway matter or systems behave
Norwegian Bokmål oppførsel, adferd
- oppførselway an animal or human behaves or acts
- adferdway an animal or human behaves or acts
- oppførselway matter or systems behave
Polish zachowanie, behawior
- zachowanieway an animal or human behaves or acts
- behawiorway an animal or human behaves or acts
- behawiorin biology and psychology
- zachowaniein biology and psychology
- zachowanieway matter or systems behave
- postępowanieway matter or systems behave
- manieryway matter or systems behave
Portuguese comportamento, conduta
- comportamentoway an animal or human behaves or acts
- condutaway an animal or human behaves or acts
- comportamentoin biology and psychology
- comportamentoway matter or systems behave
Romanian comportament, comportare
- comportamentway an animal or human behaves or acts
- comportareway matter or systems behave
- comportamentway matter or systems behave
- purtareway matter or systems behave
Russian поведе́ние, поведе́ние
- поведе́ние (povedénije)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- поведе́ние (povedénije)way matter or systems behave
Scottish Gaelic dol a-mach, giùlan
- dol a-machway matter or systems behave
- giùlanway matter or systems behave
Slovak vystupovanie, správanie
- vystupovanieway an animal or human behaves or acts
- správanieway an animal or human behaves or acts
- chovanieway an animal or human behaves or acts
Spanish proceder, comporte
- procederway an animal or human behaves or acts
- comporteway an animal or human behaves or acts
Swahili tabia
- tabiaway matter or systems behave
Swedish beteende, uppförande
- beteendeway an animal or human behaves or acts
- uppförandeway an animal or human behaves or acts
- åtfärdway an animal or human behaves or acts
- beteendeway matter or systems behave
Tagalog ugali
- ugaliway an animal or human behaves or acts
Thai พฤติกรรม, จริต
- พฤติกรรม (prʉ́t-dtì-gam)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- จริต (jà-rìt)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- กิริยา (gì-rí-yaa)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- ประพฤติ (bprà-prʉ́t)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- จริยา (jà-rí-yaa)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- การประพฤติ (gaan-bprà-prʉ́t)way an animal or human behaves or acts
Turkish davranış, tutum
- davranışway an animal or human behaves or acts
- tutumway an animal or human behaves or acts
- davranışway matter or systems behave
Ukrainian поведі́нка
- поведі́нка (povedínka)way an animal or human behaves or acts
Urdu سُلُوک, رَوَیَّہ
- سُلُوک (sulūk)way an animal or human behaves or acts
- رَوَیَّہ (ravayya)way an animal or human behaves or acts
Vietnamese hành vi
- hành viway an animal or human behaves or acts
Welsh ymddygiad, ymddygiad
- ymddygiadway an animal or human behaves or acts
- ymddygiadin biology and psychology
Yiddish אויפֿפֿיר
- אויפֿפֿיר (oyffir)way an animal or human behaves or acts
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with behavior
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
behavior. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/behavior
MLA
“behavior.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/behavior. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “behavior,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/behavior.
Source: behavior on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.