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
And music and arts are known to be therapeutic for people with mental and behavioral disorders.
—Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 14 July 2025
Some platforms are using behavioral data to decide not just what message to send, but exactly when a user is most likely to respond.
—Alison Coleman, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Some studies have linked synthetic dyes to behavioral issues in children, but other experts argue that more research is needed to reach a conclusion on their safety.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 14 July 2025
The nonprofit, which specializes in caring for animals with medical and behavioral needs, continues to rely on public support to provide second chances to vulnerable pets like her.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for behavioral
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Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 14 July 2025
Some platforms are using behavioral data to decide not just what message to send, but exactly when a user is most likely to respond.
—Alison Coleman, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Some studies have linked synthetic dyes to behavioral issues in children, but other experts argue that more research is needed to reach a conclusion on their safety.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 14 July 2025
The nonprofit, which specializes in caring for animals with medical and behavioral needs, continues to rely on public support to provide second chances to vulnerable pets like her.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for behavioral
Cite this Entry
“Behavioral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behavioral. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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