behavioral

adjective

be·​hav·​ior·​al bi-ˈhā-vyə-rəl 

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

bi-ˈhā-vyə-rə-lē 

bē-

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

Adding to the tumult, ABC News lost another veteran talent last week when meteorologist Rob Marciano was fired over alleged behavioral issues in the workplace. —Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2024

More than half of the additional health spending is earmarked for behavioral health, which increases by 13 percent, or some $135 million, for a total of $1.16 billion. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing behavioral

• behavioral modification
• behavioral science
• behavioral therapist
• behavioral therapy
• cognitive behavioral therapy