behavioral

adjective

be·​hav·​ior·​al bi-ˈhā-vyə-rəl How to pronounce behavioral (audio)
bē-
1
: of or relating to behavior : pertaining to reactions made in response to social stimuli
behavioral problems
behavioral similarities
Half of all potential guide dogs don't get final clearance because of medical or behavioral issues.Cassie Kreitner
2
: relating to or concerned with the social, psychological, and emotional factors that affect financial decisions and behavior
behavioral economics
Behavioral finance … holds that financial man—far from the perfect, mechanical trader depicted in textbooks—is a rather neurotic fellow. He follows the crowd, fails to plan ahead and often makes mistakes.Roger Lowenstein
behaviorally adverb
… gradually came to the conclusion that the wild dogs are physically and behaviorally distinct enough to constitute a uniform breed. Christine Mlot

Examples of behavioral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Expert Reactions Among other points, Komisar said that putting your baby into daycare at a young age increases aggression and behavioral problems later in life. Wendy Wisner, Parents, 17 Mar. 2025 By analyzing behavioral patterns and engagement data, AI helps anticipate patient needs and automate personalized touchpoints across their healthcare journey. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 Salinas, a behavioral neurologist and clinician scientist at New York University, says people who excel at handling skirmishes — whether in their personal life or the workplace — also know that sometimes its unrealistic to expect to see eye-to-eye. Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2025 Effective behavioral health treatment is the best path to reducing homelessness. Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for behavioral

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of behavioral was in 1919

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Cite this Entry

“Behavioral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behavioral. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

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