American Dictionary
Definition behavior in American English
behavior
noun
What are red words?
Around 90% of spoken and written English relies on just 7,500 common words.
These words are highlighted in red and are ranked using a star system.
- One-star words are commonly used
- Two-star words are even more common
- Three-star words are the most frequently used
[uncountable]
noun
What are red words?
Around 90% of spoken and written English relies on just 7,500 common words.These words are highlighted in red and are ranked using a star system.
- One-star words are commonly used
- Two-star words are even more common
- Three-star words are the most frequently used
Behavior is usually an uncountable noun, so it is rarely used in the plural:
✗ Parents should be able to prevent their children’s crimes or bad behaviors.
✓ Parents should be able to prevent their children’s crimes or bad behavior.
✗ The media often encourage violence and aggressive behaviors.
✓ The media often encourage violence and aggressive behavior.
The plural form “behaviors” is a specialized term used in fields such as psychology, social science, and education. This use is much less common than the uncountable use:
In this chapter, we discuss strategies for dealing with the problem behaviors of young children.
the way that someone behaves
Scientists are studying the behavior of certain elements in a humid environment.
