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

Health care may include the use of hormones to delay puberty in adolescents, behavioral health counseling to support and promote the gender identity with which a person aligns, and hormone replacement therapy. —Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 6 Nov. 2025

By analyzing behavioral data, Reformation can align inventory to local preferences while maintaining its small-batch production model with limited runs that can be replenished quickly to minimize overproduction and waste. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025

Prevention includes behavioral threat assessment—essentially training students and staff to intervene at the earliest warning signs that someone may be capable of potential violence, and helping divert those people to treatment. —Alana Semuels, Time, 6 Nov. 2025

While focus groups used to give slow feedback from a few participants, today’s marketers can look at behavioral data from millions at the same time. —William Jones, IndyStar, 6 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