behavioural
behavioural — adjective
- behaviouralpositive
- more behaviouralcomparative
- most behaviouralsuperlative
1. connected with the way a person, animal, or thing acts and reacts in different s
connected with the way a person, animal, or thing acts and reacts in different situations
The school hired a specialist to help children with severe behavioural difficulties.
behavioural + noun: difficulties / problems / issues
After switching schools, six-year-old Dario showed a sudden behavioural change and began hitting his classmates.
behavioural change / pattern / response
A recent study examined the behavioural differences between teenagers who slept six hours and those who slept nine each night.
Camila enrolled in a course on behavioural economics at the university.
A dog's behavioural response to fear can include barking or hiding.
- conduct-related
less formal; describes something connected with how someone acts in a particular setting
- psychological
narrower; focuses on mental processes rather than observable actions
用法筆記
Often used as a modifier in academic and professional compound nouns such as behavioural psychology, behavioural science, and behavioural economics.
常見錯誤
behavioural — noun
1. the particular way that a person acts, especially towards other people or in a s
the particular way that a person acts, especially towards other people or in a social setting
Liang was rewarded for his excellent behaviour during the school trip.
uncountable: good / bad / excellent behaviour
The restaurant manager asked the family to leave because of their children's loud behaviour.
Paloma's professional behaviour towards her new colleagues made a great impression.
Mrs. Chen expects every student in her fifth-grade classroom to follow the school's code of respectful behaviour.
His aggressive behaviour on the football pitch resulted in a red card from the referee.
- conduct
more formal than 'behaviour'; often carries a moral or ethical judgment
- manner
refers to the style or way of acting, often in social situations
- deportment
very formal; describes how one stands, moves, and carries oneself in public
- misbehaviour
specifically bad or unacceptable behaviour
用法筆記
This sense is uncountable — never use 'a behaviour' to describe a person's way of acting. Use 'a piece of behaviour' for a single act if needed.
常見錯誤
2. the actions and reactions of an animal, plant, or other living thing to its surr
the actions and reactions of an animal, plant, or other living thing to its surrounding environment
The experiment recorded the feeding behaviour of ants when given different types of food.
technical: behaviour of + organism
Jabari's research focuses on the territorial behaviour of wild cats in East Africa.
The nesting behaviour of sea turtles changes each year depending on ocean temperatures.
Loud crowds and bright lights can trigger unusual behaviour in zoo animals such as nervous tigers pacing in circles.
Bilal observed the social behaviour of dolphins communicating through clicks and whistles.
用法筆記
Common in scientific writing, especially in biology, zoology, and psychology. Often paired with an animal name in a possessive or 'of' structure (e.g. 'the bee's behaviour', 'the behaviour of primates').
3. the way a machine, system, or natural process functions or operates under partic
the way a machine, system, or natural process functions or operates under particular conditions
The engineer checked the behaviour of the bridge under extreme wind conditions.
technical: behaviour of + machine / system / substance
Kabir monitored the chemical behaviour of the mixture as the temperature increased.
The software's unexpected behaviour suggested that a bug remained in the latest update.
Scientists studied the behaviour of light particles passing through the narrow slit.
The strange behaviour of the engine warned the pilot of a possible mechanical failure.
- operation
focuses on how a system works step by step, rather than how it reacts to conditions
- performance
emphasises how well a system works rather than simply how it works
用法筆記
Used in engineering, physics, chemistry, and computing to describe how a system responds to inputs or changes in conditions. The subject is typically an inanimate thing (engine, software, chemical, market).