behaviour

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Related to behaviour: behavior, behaviour management

be·hav·iour

(bĭ-hāv′yər)

n. Chiefly British

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

behaviour

(bɪˈheɪvjə) or

behavior

1. manner of behaving or conducting oneself

2. on one's best behaviour behaving with careful good manners

3. (Psychology) psychol

a. the aggregate of all the responses made by an organism in any situation

b. a specific response of a certain organism to a specific stimulus or group of stimuli

4. the action, reaction, or functioning of a system, under normal or specified circumstances

[C15: from behave; influenced in form by Middle English havior, from Old French havoir, from Latin habēre to have]

beˈhavioural, beˈhavioral adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

be•hav•iour

(bɪˈheɪv yər)

n. Chiefly Brit.

behavior.

usage: See -or ¹.

behaviour

Someone's behaviour is the way they behave.

I had been puzzled by his behaviour.

...the obstinate behaviour of a small child.

Note that the American spelling of this word is behavior.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	behaviour - the action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances; "the behavior of small particles can be studied in experiments" behavior activeness, activity, action - the state of being active; "his sphere of activity"; "he is out of action"
	2.	behaviour - (behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people demeanor, demeanour, deportment, conduct, behavior trait - a distinguishing feature of your personal nature manners - social deportment; "he has the manners of a pig" citizenship - conduct as a citizen; "award for good citizenship" swashbuckling - flamboyantly reckless and boastful behavior correctitude, properness, propriety - correct or appropriate behavior improperness, impropriety - an improper demeanor personal manner, manner - a way of acting or behaving
	3.	behaviour - (psychology) the aggregate of the responses or reactions or movements made by an organism in any situation behavior activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity" territoriality - the behavior of a male animal that defines and defends its territory psychological science, psychology - the science of mental life
	4.	behaviour - manner of acting or controlling yourself behavior, conduct, doings activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity" aggression - deliberately unfriendly behavior bohemianism - conduct characteristic of a bohemian dirty pool - conduct that is unfair or unethical or unsportsmanlike dirty tricks - underhand commercial or political behavior designed to discredit an opponent offense, offensive activity, discourtesy, offence - a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings or others easiness - the quality of being easy in behavior or style; "there was an easiness between them"; "a natural easiness of manner" the way of the world, the ways of the world - the manner in which people typically behave or things typically happen; "the ordinary reader is endowed with considerable wisdom and knowledge of the way of the world"; "she was well-versed in the ways of the world before she had taken the veil"; "he was amazingly innocent of the ways of the world"

behaviour

noun

1. conduct, ways, actions, bearing, attitude, manner, manners, carriage, demeanour, deportment, mien (literary), comportment He was asked to explain his extraordinary behaviour.

2. action, working, running, performance, operation, practice, conduct, functioning This process modifies the cell's behaviour.

Quotations
"Perfect behaviour is born of complete indifference" [Cesare Pavese This Business of Living]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

تصرُّفسُلوكسُلُوك

поведение

chováníreakcezpůsoby

opførselreaktionsmønsteradfærd

Benehmen Verhalten

συμπεριφορά

comportamiento conducta

käytöskäyttäytyminen

comportement conduite procédé

ponašanje

működésviselkedésmód

hegîunhegîun, viîbrögî

comportamento condotta contegno

態度

행동

gedrag

atferd oppførsel reaksjonsmønster

zachowanie

comportamento

поведение

beteendeuppförande

พฤติกรรม

davranış tavır tepkitepkime

cách cư xử

行为反应活动

behaviour

behavior (US) [bɪˈheɪvjəʳ]

A. N

1. [of person] → conducta f, comportamiento m
good behaviour → buena conducta f
to be on one's best behaviour → comportarse lo mejor posible
you must be on your best behaviour → tienes que portarte lo mejor posible

2. (Mech etc) → funcionamiento m

B. CPD behaviour pattern N → patrón m de conducta

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

behaviour

[bɪˈheɪvjə^r] (British) behavior (US) n

(= conduct) [person] → comportement m, conduite f
to be on one's best behaviour → très bien se tenir

(= actions) [people, animals] → comportement m; [organizations, organisms, machines] → comportement m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

behaviour

, (US) behavior

(= manner, bearing) → Benehmen nt; (esp of children also) → Betragen nt; to be on one’s best behaviour → sich von seiner besten Seite zeigen, sein bestes Benehmen an den Tag legen

(towards others) → Verhalten nt → (to(wards) gegenüber)

(of car, machine) → Verhalten nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

behaviour

behavior (Am) [bɪˈheɪvjəʳ] n → comportamento
to be on one's best behaviour → sforzarsi di comportarsi bene

behave

(biˈheiv) verb

1. to act in a suitable way, to conduct oneself (well). If you come, you must behave (yourself); The child always behaves (himself) at his grandmother's.

2. to act or react. He always behaves like a gentleman; Metals behave in different ways when heated.

beˈhaviour , (American) beˈhavior (-jə) noun

1. way of behaving. the behaviour of the pupils.

2. actions or reactions. the behaviour of rats; the behaviour of metals in acids.

ˌwell/ˌbadly- etc beˈhaved adjective

good (bad etc) in manners or conduct. badly-behaved children.

behaviour

→ سُلُوك chování opførsel Benehmen συμπεριφορά conducta käyttäytyminen comportement ponašanje comportamento 態度 행동 gedrag oppførsel zachowanie comportamento поведение uppförande พฤติกรรม davranış cách cư xử 行为

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

It has always been a common topic of popular discussion whether animals "think." On this topic people are prepared to take sides without having the vaguest idea what they mean by "thinking." Those who desired to investigate such questions were led to observe the behaviour of animals, in the hope that their behaviour would throw some light on their mental faculties.

Careful observers of animals, being anxious to avoid precarious inferences, have gradually discovered more and more how to give an account of the actions of animals without assuming what we call "consciousness." It has seemed to the behaviourists that similar methods can be applied to human behaviour, without assuming anything not open to external observation.

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No sooner did he appear than Elizabeth wisely resolved to be perfectly easy and unembarrassed; a resolution the more necessary to be made, but perhaps not the more easily kept, because she saw that the suspicions of the whole party were awakened against them, and that there was scarcely an eye which did not watch his behaviour when he first came into the room.

Elizabeth's collected behaviour, however, soon quieted his emotion; and as Miss Bingley, vexed and disappointed, dared not approach nearer to Wickham, Georgiana also recovered in time, though not enough to be able to speak any more.

View in context

Though his looks did not please her, his name was a passport to her goodwill, and she thought with sincere compassion of his approaching disappointment; for, in spite of what she had believed herself to overhear in the pump-room, his behaviour was so incompatible with a knowledge of Isabella's engagement that she could not, upon reflection, imagine him aware of it.

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Tho' certainly nothing could to any reasonable Being, have appeared more satisfactory, than so gratefull a reply to her invitation, yet I know not how it was, but she was certainly capricious enough to be displeased with our behaviour and in a few weeks after, either to revenge our Conduct, or releive her own solitude, married a young and illiterate Fortune- hunter.

View in context

In his last letter he actually gave me some particulars of her behaviour at Langford, such as he received from a gentleman who knew her perfectly well, which, if true, must raise abhorrence against her, and which Reginald himself was entirely disposed to credit.

View in context

This behaviour of Mrs Bridget greatly surprised Mrs Deborah; for this well-bred woman seldom opened her lips, either to her master or his sister, till she had first sounded their inclinations, with which her sentiments were always consonant.

View in context

His attentive behaviour to herself and his sisters convinced her that their welfare was dear to him, and, for a long time, she firmly relied on the liberality of his intentions.