# behavior

> English word · Noun · IPA /bɪˈheɪ.vjə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #2,062

## Definitions
1. Human conduct relative to social norms.
2. The way or manner a living creature behaves or acts generally.
3. A state of probation about one's conduct.
4. An observable response produced by an organism.
5. The way a device or system operates.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi
Proto-Germanic *bider.
Proto-Germanic *bi-
Proto-West Germanic *bi-
Proto-Indo-European *kap-der.
Proto-Germanic *habjaną
Proto-West Germanic *habbjan
Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan
Old English behabban
Middle English behaven
Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ-
Proto-Italic *haβēō
Latin habeō
Old French avoirbor.
Middle English havour
Middle English behavoure
English behavior
From Middle English behavoure, behaver, from behaven (modern behave), with the ending apparently in imitation of havour (see 'havior), a corruption of Old French aveir and/or avoir (“a having”), ultimately from Latin habēre. Compare Scots havings (“behavior”), from have (“to behave”). Replaced Old English ġebǣru.

## Easily confused with
- **behaviour** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/behavior-vs-behaviour)
- **behavioral** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/behavior-vs-behavioral)
- **behaving** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/behaving-vs-behavior)

## Common misspellings (11)
`bbehavior`, `beahvior`, `behaivor`, `behaviorr`, `behaviro`, `behavoir`, `behavvior`, `behhavior`, `behvaior`, `bheavior`, `ebhavior`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/behavior