ethology

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UK/iːˈθɒl.ə.dʒi/US/ɪˈθɑl.ə.d͡ʒi/US/iˈθɑl.ə.d͡ʒi/

noun

The scientific study of animalian behavior, especially that of nonhuman animals.

UncommonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounethology (countable and uncountable, plural ethologies)

plural ethologies

  1. countableuncountablebiologyThe scientific study of animalian behavior, especially that of nonhuman animals.
  2. countableobsoleteuncountableThe study of the human ethos.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἠθολογία“painting of character, especially by mimic gestures”
  2. Latinēthologia“the art of depicting or imitating character”
  3. Englishethology

From the Latin ēthologia (“the art of depicting or imitating character”), from the Ancient Greek ἠθολογία (ēthología, “painting of character, especially by mimic gestures”), from ἠθολόγος (ēthológos, “painting character by mimic gestures”), from ἦθος (êthos, “character, especially moral character”). Equivalent to etho- + -logy.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan etologia
  • etologiastudy of human and animal behaviour
Chinese Mandarin 動物行為學 /动物行为学
  • 動物行為學 /动物行为学 (dòngwù xíngwéixué)study of human and animal behaviour
Czech etologie
  • etologiestudy of human and animal behaviour
Danish etologi
  • etologistudy of human and animal behaviour
Dutch ethologie, gedragsbiologie
  • ethologiestudy of human and animal behaviour
  • gedragsbiologiestudy of human and animal behaviour
Finnish käyttäytymistiede, eläinpsykologia
  • käyttäytymistiedestudy of human and animal behaviour
  • eläinpsykologiastudy of human and animal behaviour
  • etologiastudy of human and animal behaviour
French éthologie
  • éthologiestudy of human and animal behaviour
German Ethologie
  • Ethologiestudy of human and animal behaviour
Greek ηθολογία
  • ηθολογία (ithología)study of human and animal behaviour
Hindi आचारशास्त्र
  • आचारशास्त्र (ācārśāstra)study of human and animal behaviour
Hungarian etológia, állatviselkedés-tan
  • etológiastudy of human and animal behaviour
  • állatviselkedés-tanstudy of human and animal behaviour
Icelandic atferlisfræði, hátternisfræði
  • atferlisfræðistudy of human and animal behaviour
  • hátternisfræðistudy of human and animal behaviour
Irish eiteolaíocht
  • eiteolaíochtstudy of human and animal behaviour
Italian etologia
  • etologiastudy of human and animal behaviour
Japanese 動物行動学
  • 動物行動学 (dōbutsu kōdōgaku)study of human and animal behaviour
Latin ēthologia
  • ēthologiastudy of human and animal behaviour
Malay kaji tingkah laku, etologi
  • kaji tingkah lakustudy of human and animal behaviour
  • etologistudy of human and animal behaviour
Polish etologia
  • etologiastudy of human and animal behaviour
Portuguese etologia
  • etologiastudy of human and animal behaviour
Romanian etologie
  • etologiestudy of human and animal behaviour
Russian этоло́гия
  • этоло́гия (etológija)study of human and animal behaviour
Spanish etología
  • etologíastudy of human and animal behaviour
Swedish etologi
  • etologistudy of human and animal behaviour
Turkish etoloji
  • etolojistudy of human and animal behaviour
Ukrainian этоло́гія
  • этоло́гія (ètolóhija)study of human and animal behaviour
Vietnamese phong tục học, tập tính học
  • phong tục họcstudy of human and animal behaviour
  • tập tính họcstudy of human and animal behaviour

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with ethology

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Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

ethology. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethology

MLA

“ethology.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethology. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ethology,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethology.

Source: ethology on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.