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

Layered defenses and behavioral analysis have become essential for spotting threats that use domain rotation and automated evasion. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Nov. 2025

Humane society officials said for 119 days, under the supervision of the SDHS’ Project Wildlife team, the cubs received medical evaluations and behavioral monitoring. —City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025

The Detroit Free Press could not find anyone with formal education in psychology or behavioral health involved in the development of iWellness' survey. —Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 24 Nov. 2025

However, enabling these enhancements requires users to allow Google greater access to their behavioral and content data—specifically, the analysis of email content and metadata from their inboxes. —Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 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