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

For a lot of those kinds of behavioral deficits, teaching you the skills that are going to manage that deficit is the way to go. —Matt Villano, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025

Can that cause other medical or behavioral compromises? —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025

Real-World Examples Of Enterprise Futurist Thinking: Transportation: Uber uses geographic and behavioral data to optimize ride pricing and driver allocation, creating a seamless rider experience while maximizing revenue. —Sudhanshu Duggal, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

Teachers now have data walls combining academic, behavioral, and attendance records, giving them a full picture of student needs. —Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for behavioral

• behavioural
• biobehavioral
• neurobehavioral