behavior

Human conduct relative to social norms.

Noun

  1. 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...
  2. The way or manner a living creature behaves or acts generally.
  3. A state of probation about one's conduct.
    • He was on his best behavior when her family visited.
  4. An observable response produced by an organism.
  5. The way a device or system operates.

Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bider. Proto-Germanic *bi- Proto-West Germanic *bi- 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...

Forms

behaviors behaviour behavoure behavier behavor behavour

Synonyms

comportment conduct demeanor deportment

Related

behave

Derived

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