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
Cassie Kreitner2
: 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
Roger Lowenstein
behaviorally
bi-ˈhā-vyə-rə-lē
adverb
bē-
… gradually came to the conclusion that the wild dogs are physically and behaviorally distinct enough to constitute a uniform breed.
—Christine Mlot
Christine Mlot
Examples of behavioral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Courts, attorneys and institutions need clinicians who can translate behavioral health histories into something more precise than a diagnosis and more useful than a stereotype.
—Sonia Singh, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
The psychiatric facility provides services for severe mental illness, behavioral and emotional problems for children 13 to 17 years old.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Bogen says the pattern is familiar from older Internet platforms, where small behavioral cues became signals that shaped what users saw and how they were categorized.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
According to behavioral scientist and health psychologist Deepika Chopra, who wrote a book called The Power of Real Optimism, optimism is a powerful tool that actually contributes to curiosity and resilience.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for behavioral
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Sonia Singh, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
The psychiatric facility provides services for severe mental illness, behavioral and emotional problems for children 13 to 17 years old.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Bogen says the pattern is familiar from older Internet platforms, where small behavioral cues became signals that shaped what users saw and how they were categorized.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
According to behavioral scientist and health psychologist Deepika Chopra, who wrote a book called The Power of Real Optimism, optimism is a powerful tool that actually contributes to curiosity and resilience.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for behavioral
Cite this Entry
“Behavioral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behavioral. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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