Pavlovian

adjective

Definition of Pavloviannext
as in reflex

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of Pavlovian Publications from the Times on down employ clickbait headlines that treat you like a starving rat in a Pavlovian experiment. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 O’Neill, who also has Pavlovian as a starter, named Cristian Torres to ride Robusta because Emisael Jaramillo had commitments at Santa Anita. — Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026 Having been in a couple of recent street fights in Derby qualifying races, Pavlovian looks to have a haymaker’s chance. — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026 Why this is so is based on a number of factors, including official priorities, trade-offs, and what many suspect is Pavlovian manipulation. — New Atlas, 16 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Pavlovian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Pavlovian
  1. reflex
  2. subconscious
  3. visceral
  4. conditioned
  5. subliminal
  6. reactive
  7. unconscious
  8. automatic
Adjective
  • The reflex sell-off after Wednesday's Federal Reserve rate hike gave the S&P 500 a momentary test of 7500, which proved a timely shakeout.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Padmini smiled, though this appeared more reflex than friendliness.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of reflex
Adjective
  • Davidsen bucks up her balky husband with a bloodthirsty holler, stiffens her voice against doubt, and, in her final sleepwalking scene, taps into the tender stratum of Lady Macbeth’s subconscious.
    — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Not to mention, all the subconscious terrain, where one wrestles with memory, vulnerability, and presence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of subconscious
Adjective
  • But in typical Davies fashion, the five-hour miniseries distinguishes itself for tackling its subject so head on and with such varied and visceral feeling, as manifested especially by Cumming and David Morrissey as a pair of feuding neighbors.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
  • That visceral response reflects a lifelong fascination with music as a physical experience.
    — Ben Croll, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of visceral
Adjective
  • As the protagonist Ben in Night of the Living Dead (1968), Duane Jones unveiled a distinct facet of pre-conditioned Black martyrdom.
    — Malik Peay, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2023
  • The new formula is infused with a luscious blend of flower oils so that lashes feel conditioned and supple to the touch.
    — Daisy Maldonado, SELF, 13 Sep. 2022
Definition of conditioned
Adjective
  • More likely she was hooked by the subliminal stirrings and emotional undertow of the music.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Her minimalist expression is matched by Hildur Gudnadóttir’s almost subliminal composition and sound design that now represents a beating heart, now thundering clouds.
    — Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of subliminal
Adjective
  • How Reaction Took Hold Of Airline Operations The dominant model in the industry remains reactive—detect a disruption, escalate, coordinate across silos and then recover.
    — Abha Dogra, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The skin barrier, which is the outermost protective layer of the skin, can also play an important role in how reactive skin is, says Alan Meyers, an R&D and formulation expert based in New Jersey.
    — Jenny Jin, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of reactive
Adjective
  • Earlier Saturday, an unconscious woman was taken away by an ambulance.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Funny thing, though — while Williams lay there unconscious, his voice kept booming over the speakers.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of unconscious
Adjective
  • The obvious next step is to make the system more automatic, not less.
    — Mark Lewyn, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Agentic payments can make compensation granular, automatic and economically viable at machine scale.
    — Shlomit Wagman, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of automatic

Browse Nearby Words

paving the way (for)
Pavlovian
paw
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Cite this Entry

“Pavlovian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pavlovian. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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