Politicians are always censured for outrageous or inappropriate behavior.
Source: tatoeba (1927)
Behavior
/bɪˈheɪ.vjə(ɹ)/
Synonyms for "behavior" (112 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (23)
Noun(10 words)
conductdemeanordeportmentactionsbehavingbehavioral sciencebehaviourbranch of psychologychickadeescomporting
Adjective(1 words)
appropriate behavior
Strong matches (33)
Noun(13 words)
comportmentconduct of a ceremonyconduct oneself civillyconduct relateddecorumdeedsdemeanourdisciplinedoingshuman actionshuman conductinformal conductlapwings
conditioned responseconditioningconductcustomdemeanordeportmentdoingemploymentetiquetteexercisefeelingfolkwayformfunctionfunctioninggesturegoings onguiseinstrumental conditioning
Preposition(1 words)
in a civilized manner
Related words (56)
mannermannersmethodmethodologymienmodus vivendimoralmoralitymovementsnegative reinforcementoccupationoperant conditioningoperationoperationspatternpavlovian conditioningperformanceplaypoisepolicy
Show 25 more words
portposepositive reinforcementposturepracticepraxispresenceprocedureproceedingpsychagogypsychologyreeducationreflexreinforcementreorientationsocial sciencestyleswingtacticstoneunconditioned reflexwayworkworkingworkings
Adjective(1 words)
moral stance
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: conduct, demeanor, deportment, act, acting.
- Sentence evidence is available for behavior, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "behavior".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "behavior"
Keep "behavior" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "behavior" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "behavior", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "behavior" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
8 entriesMore specific
7 entriesCollocations
6 entriesbehavior chartbehavior managementbehavior patternclassroom behaviorpositive behaviorstudent behavior
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
4 entriesTranslations
55 translations across 34 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- gedrag noun (way matter or systems behave)
Arabic
1 entries- سُلُوك noun (way matter or systems behave)
Bengali
1 entries- আচরণ noun (way matter or systems behave)
Breton
2 entries- doare d'ober noun (way matter or systems behave)
- emzalc'h noun (way matter or systems behave)
Bulgarian
1 entries- поведе́ние noun (way matter or systems behave)
Catalan
1 entries- comportament noun (way matter or systems behave)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 行為 /行为 noun (way matter or systems behave)
Czech
1 entries- chování noun (way matter or systems behave)
Danish
1 entries- opførsel noun (way matter or systems behave)
Dutch
2 entries- gedrag noun (way matter or systems behave)
- gedragingen noun (way matter or systems behave)
Finnish
2 entries- käyttäytyminen noun (way matter or systems behave)
- käytös noun (way matter or systems behave)
French
2 entries- comportement noun (way matter or systems behave)
- conduite noun (way matter or systems behave)
German
4 entries- Benehmen noun (way matter or systems behave)
- Betragen noun (way matter or systems behave)
- Führung noun (way matter or systems behave)
- Verhalten noun (way matter or systems behave)
Greek
1 entries- συμπεριφορά noun (way matter or systems behave)
Hebrew
1 entries- הִתְנַהֲגוּת noun (way matter or systems behave)
Hindi
1 entries- आचरण noun (way matter or systems behave)
Hungarian
1 entries- működés noun (way matter or systems behave)
Indonesian
4 entries- kebiasaan noun (way matter or systems behave)
- perilaku noun (way matter or systems behave)
- sifat noun (way matter or systems behave)
- tingkah laku noun (way matter or systems behave)
Irish
1 entries- iompraíocht noun (way matter or systems behave)
Italian
2 entries- comportamento noun (way matter or systems behave)
- condotta noun (way matter or systems behave)
Japanese
4 entries- 反応 noun (way matter or systems behave)
- 振舞い noun (way matter or systems behave)
- 行儀 noun (way matter or systems behave)
- 行動 noun (way matter or systems behave)
Korean
1 entries- 행동 noun (way matter or systems behave)
Maltese
1 entries- mġiba noun (way matter or systems behave)
Māori
1 entries- whanonga noun (way matter or systems behave)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- oppførsel noun (way matter or systems behave)
Polish
3 entries- maniery noun (way matter or systems behave)
- postępowanie noun (way matter or systems behave)
- zachowanie noun (way matter or systems behave)
Portuguese
1 entries- comportamento noun (way matter or systems behave)
Romanian
3 entries- comportament noun (way matter or systems behave)
- comportare noun (way matter or systems behave)
- purtare noun (way matter or systems behave)
Russian
1 entries- поведе́ние noun (way matter or systems behave)
Scottish Gaelic
2 entries- dol a-mach noun (way matter or systems behave)
- giùlan noun (way matter or systems behave)
Swahili
1 entries- tabia noun (way matter or systems behave)
Swedish
1 entries- beteende noun (way matter or systems behave)
Telugu
2 entries- నడత noun (way matter or systems behave)
- ప్రవర్తన noun (way matter or systems behave)
Turkish
1 entries- davranış noun (way matter or systems behave)
Sample sentences
12 total sentences available.
Freud's insights into human behavior led to him being honored as a profound thinker.
Source: tatoeba (1961)
You'll have to answer for your behavior.
Source: tatoeba (16044)
You must put an end to your foolish behavior.
Source: tatoeba (16434)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "behavior"?
Closest matches include conduct, demeanor, deportment, act, acting.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "behavior"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.