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
Cassie Kreitner2
: 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
Roger Lowenstein
behaviorally
bi-ˈhā-vyə-rə-lē
adverb
bē-
… gradually came to the conclusion that the wild dogs are physically and behaviorally distinct enough to constitute a uniform breed.
—Christine Mlot
Christine Mlot
Examples of behavioral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This classification reflects their closer genetic and behavioral links to dolphins rather than whales.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Next week the largest U.S. retailer will open two health clinics in DeSoto and Fort Worth targeting seniors and families with services for comprehensive primary care, behavioral health and dental care.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
The therapists from Children’s Institute share insights and tips on reading with children for improved mental and behavioral health outcomes.
—Children’s Institute, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Speech therapy for children with autism focuses on improving communication skills, occupational therapy enhances everyday functional abilities and independence, and behavioral therapy helps manage behaviors, developing coping strategies for social interaction and emotional regulation.
—Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024
To find behavioral health treatment services, visit SAMHSA’s website.
—Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 16 Apr. 2024
The Riverbanks Zoo's study documented that three-fourth of the animals at the zoo exhibited some behavioral response to the 2017 eclipse with the predominate response being to mimic nighttime behaviors.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
Bowser’s bill also calls for creating an alternative school for students with the most severe behavioral problems — such as bringing a weapon to school or hurting another student — that would be run by D.C. Public Schools.
—Meagan Flynn, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Many behavioral support groups can assist, such as 12-step programs and individual therapy.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Next week the largest U.S. retailer will open two health clinics in DeSoto and Fort Worth targeting seniors and families with services for comprehensive primary care, behavioral health and dental care.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
The therapists from Children’s Institute share insights and tips on reading with children for improved mental and behavioral health outcomes.
—Children’s Institute, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Speech therapy for children with autism focuses on improving communication skills, occupational therapy enhances everyday functional abilities and independence, and behavioral therapy helps manage behaviors, developing coping strategies for social interaction and emotional regulation.
—Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024
To find behavioral health treatment services, visit SAMHSA’s website.
—Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 16 Apr. 2024
The Riverbanks Zoo's study documented that three-fourth of the animals at the zoo exhibited some behavioral response to the 2017 eclipse with the predominate response being to mimic nighttime behaviors.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
Bowser’s bill also calls for creating an alternative school for students with the most severe behavioral problems — such as bringing a weapon to school or hurting another student — that would be run by D.C. Public Schools.
—Meagan Flynn, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Many behavioral support groups can assist, such as 12-step programs and individual therapy.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'behavioral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near behavioral
Cite this Entry
“Behavioral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behavioral. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share