noun
behavior
bih-HAYV-yer/bɪˈheɪvyər/
The way someone or something acts or responds.
The dog's calm behavior follows the owner's hand cue.
Etymology
With intensive be-, have expressed bearing or conducting oneself in a particular way. Behavior names that manner of acting, with its ending shaped by havour, a word meaning “possession.”
In context
Nikki forces her way into that space and pressures Bear into taking her home. Later, Ian uses the confined environment of the car to confront Bear about Nikki's increasingly disturbing behavior.
More examples
- She studied animal behavior.
- Several behaviors changed after the routine improved.
- The program's behavior surprised the tester.
Forms
behavior · behaviors
behavioral adjective — Relating to ways of acting or responding.