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
Aside from adjusting the behavioral outputs for its previous GPT-40 AI language model, new model changes have also created some turmoil among users.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2025
The researchers pointed to possible reasons mortality is rising in younger individuals, including substance use and behavioral health issues in North America and Latin America.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Center for Positive Changes is a nonprofit licensed organization that provides treatment options to young people with emotional, physical, behavioral, interpersonal, self-esteem, school performance and family issues.
—La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
Pregnant people and children are most at risk because the toxins can cause neurological issues, learning delays, and behavioral problems, the organization reported.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for behavioral
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ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2025
The researchers pointed to possible reasons mortality is rising in younger individuals, including substance use and behavioral health issues in North America and Latin America.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Center for Positive Changes is a nonprofit licensed organization that provides treatment options to young people with emotional, physical, behavioral, interpersonal, self-esteem, school performance and family issues.
—La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
Pregnant people and children are most at risk because the toxins can cause neurological issues, learning delays, and behavioral problems, the organization reported.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for behavioral
Cite this Entry
“Behavioral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behavioral. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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