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

This kid didn’t sign a contract to be on a reality show, and the concept of his medical and behavioral history being aired out for millions to see just feels icky to me. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

By aligning the right people with the right roles and encouraging an environment of mutual understanding, behavioral assessments play a pivotal role in creating high-performing teams that excel in collaboration and achieve business success. — Karla Vallecillo, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026

Spending on behavioral health care and pharmaceuticals is also growing exponentially. — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

In the final step, the team focused on behavioral experiments. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026

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