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

2

: 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

behaviorally

bi-ˈhā-vyə-rə-lē 

bē-

adverb

… gradually came to the conclusion that the wild dogs are physically and behaviorally distinct enough to constitute a uniform breed.

—Christine Mlot

Examples of behavioral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An investigation by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office found that between Oct. 2019 and January 2020, Caldwell provided behavioral health services at Primal Mental and Physical Health in Oakville and billed Medicaid, according to the DCJ. —Taylor Hartz, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2024

That doesn’t mean D.C. should set aside its plans for the behavioral health facility — quite the contrary. —Editorial Board, Washington Post, 21 June 2024

Discriminate against people with behavioral health disabilities. —Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 19 June 2024

Spiking mental health issues for young people began long before the surgeon general declared a youth behavioral health crisis during the pandemic, an April report from a New York nonprofit called the United Health Fund found. —Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 17 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing behavioral

• behavioral modification
• behavioral science
• behavioral therapist
• behavioral therapy
• cognitive behavioral therapy