BEHAVIOR

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does behavior mean? 

• BEHAVIOR (noun)
  The noun BEHAVIOR has 4 senses:

1. manner of acting or controlling yourself

2. the action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances

3. (behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people

4. (psychology) the aggregate of the responses or reactions or movements made by an organism in any situation

  Familiarity information: BEHAVIOR used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BEHAVIOR (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Manner of acting or controlling yourself

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

behavior; behaviour; conduct; doings

Hypernyms ("behavior" is a kind of...):

activity (any specific behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "behavior"):

aggression (deliberately unfriendly behavior)

bohemianism (conduct characteristic of a bohemian)

dirty pool (conduct that is unfair or unethical or unsportsmanlike)

dirty tricks (underhand commercial or political behavior designed to discredit an opponent)

discourtesy; offence; offense; offensive activity (a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings or others)

easiness (the quality of being easy in behavior or style)

the way of the world; the ways of the world (the manner in which people typically behave or things typically happen)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

behavior; behaviour

Context example:

the behavior of small particles can be studied in experiments

Hypernyms ("behavior" is a kind of...):

action; activeness; activity (the state of being active)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

behavior; behaviour; conduct; demeanor; demeanour; deportment

Hypernyms ("behavior" is a kind of...):

trait (a distinguishing feature of your personal nature)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "behavior"):

manners (social deportment)

citizenship (conduct as a citizen)

swashbuckling (flamboyantly reckless and boastful behavior)

correctitude; properness; propriety (correct or appropriate behavior)

improperness; impropriety (an improper demeanor)

manner; personal manner (a way of acting or behaving)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(psychology) the aggregate of the responses or reactions or movements made by an organism in any situation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

behavior; behaviour

Hypernyms ("behavior" is a kind of...):

activity (any specific behavior)

Domain category:

psychological science; psychology (the science of mental life)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "behavior"):

territoriality (the behavior of a male animal that defines and defends its territory)

 Context examples 

The assessment of basic principles of behavior, including both basic laboratory research and research directed at individuals.

(Basic Biobehavioral Research, NCI Thesaurus)

Basic behavioral studies designed to strengthen the understanding of the determinants and processes that influence cancer-related risk behaviors.

(Basic Behavioral Studies in Cancer-Related Behaviors, NCI Thesaurus)

Basic social sciences and behavioral research designed to strengthen the understanding of (a) the determinants and processes that influence HIV-related risk behaviors and (b) the consequences of HIV disease.

(Basic Behavioral and Social Science Research, NCI Thesaurus)

Signs and symptoms include poor communication skills, defective social interactions, and repetitive behaviors.

(Autism Spectrum Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

Research concerning people's behavior in the context of cancer, i.e., how people's behavior affects their chance of developing cancer.

(Behavior Research, Direct, NCI Thesaurus)

The use of operant conditioning to alter a person's dietary choices and behaviors.

(Behavioral Dietary Intervention, NCI Thesaurus)

The study of individual and group behaviors with respect to health and illness.

(Medical Sociology, NCI Thesaurus)

A technique used to change subjects' behavior, for example, psychotherapy, lifestyle counseling or hypnosis.

(Behavioral Intervention, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

The experimental study of the relationship between the genotype of an organism and its behavior.

(Behavioral Genetics, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A subject domain utilized for the submission of information encompassing and representing data, vocabulary or records related to the examination of behavior.

(Behavioral Domain, NCI Thesaurus)