behavior
gb/bɪhˈeɪvjɚ/ us/bɪhˈeɪvjɚ/
A2
English
~ 2500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Manner of acting or conducting oneself
How a person or animal acts in a certain situation.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s behavior
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'behavior' (uncountable in general use) with 'behaviors'. In everyday English, 'behavior' is usually uncountable unless referring to different types of actions in scientific contexts.
Synonyms
conduct (More formal than 'behavior', often used in official or academic contexts.)
Antonyms
misbehavior (Specifically refers to bad or improper behavior.)
Collocations
good behavior
|bad behavior
|social behavior
|animal behavior
|behavior patterns
Themes
psychology
|daily life
|education
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- Her polite behavior impressed everyone at the meeting.
- The teacher praised the students for their good behavior.
- Aggressive behavior in dogs can be dangerous.
- His strange behavior worried his friends.
- They studied the social behavior of chimpanzees.
Learner examples
- The child's behavior was very good today.
- We talked about his bad behavior.
- Her behavior is always kind and friendly.
- The teacher likes my behavior in class.
- Dog behavior can change when it is afraid.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
2
Manner of functioning of a system
How a machine, system, or thing works or reacts in a situation.
Usage pattern:
the behavior of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly apply human-related adjectives (like 'polite') to non-living things; for technical contexts, use functional descriptors instead.
Synonyms
performance (Focuses more on how well something works rather than just how it acts.)
Antonyms
malfunction (Describes failure to behave or function as expected.)
Collocations
system behavior
|material behavior
|software behavior
Themes
science
|technology
Examples
- The software's behavior changes when multiple users log in.
- Scientists are studying the behavior of light in water.
- Engineers tested the bridge's behavior under heavy loads.
- The chemical's behavior is unusual at low temperatures.
Learner examples
- The car's behavior changes in the rain.
- We study the behavior of metals when heated.
- The phone's behavior is slow when the battery is low.
Grammar
Dictionary form
behavior
IPA
GB/bɪhˈeɪvjɚ/
US/bɪhˈeɪvjɚ/
Syllables & stress
be - ha - vi - or (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ha)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: behavior
- Variant Spelling: behaviour
- Plural: behavior, behaviors
Word family
Forms
behaviour
noun A2
behaviors
noun
Core family
behave
verb A2
Related words
behavioral
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
misbehave
verb
misbehavior
noun
Advanced or less common
behaviorism
noun
behaviorist
noun
behaviorally
adverb
Highlights
- Spelling Variant: behaviour Noun
Expressions
behavioral pattern
1/bɪhˈeɪvjɚəl pˈætɚn/
fixed phrase
technical
Repeated way of acting
A way of acting that happens again and again over time.
Examples
- The study identified several behavioral patterns among teenagers.
- Changing a behavioral pattern can take time and effort.
on your best behavior
1/ˈɔn jˈʊɹ bˈɛst bɪhˈeɪvjɚ/
fixed phrase
Acting as politely as possible
To act in the most polite and well-behaved way you can.
Examples
- The children were on their best behavior during the visit from the principal.
- Be on your best behavior when you meet her parents.