behave

A2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /bɪˈheɪv/ UK /bɪˈheɪv/ See IPA manual

Freq #2767

Meanings

1

verb
To act in a particular way.

He behaves like a child whenever she's around.
2

verb
To act in a polite or proper way.

His mother told him to behave at the dinner table.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to act in a particular way. act

2 verb · to act in a polite or... comport

Word family

Forms behavedbehavesbehaving

Derived forms behavermisbehave

Related forms behavior behavioral behaviorism behaviorist behaviourbehaviouralbehaviourism behaviourist

Simplified etymology

Behave arose in late Middle English from be-, meaning “thoroughly,” and have in the sense “have or bear oneself in a particular way.” The construction corresponds to German sich behaben and French se tenir.

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 English behave From Middle English behaven, bihabben (“to restrain, behave”), from Old English behabban (“to surround, embrace, hold, contain, hold back, withhold, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan, equivalent to be- + have. C…

*kap- Proto-Indo-European behaven Middle English behabban Old English *bihabbjan Proto-West Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# behave

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /bɪˈheɪv/
**IPA (UK):** /bɪˈheɪv/
**Frequency rank:** 2767

## Meanings
1. To act in a particular way.
2. To act in a polite or proper way.

## Examples
- He behaves like a child whenever she's around.
- His mother told him to behave at the dinner table.

## Derived Forms
- behaver
- misbehave

## Related Forms
- behavior
- behavioral
- behaviorism
- behaviorist
- behaviour
- behavioural
- behaviourism
- behaviourist

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *kap-
- Root: behaven
- Root: behabban
- Root: *bihabbjan

## 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 English behave From Middle English behaven, bihabben (“to restrain, behave”), from Old English behabban (“to surround, embrace, hold, contain, hold back, withhold, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan, equivalent to be- + have. C…

## AI Etymology
Behave comes from Middle English behaven, bihabben (“to restrain, behave”), from Old English behabban (“to surround, embrace, hold, contain, hold back, withhold, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan, equivalent to be- + have. Behave's historical chain begins with Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep- and Proto-Indo-European *h₁eps and later passes through Proto-West Germanic *habbjan, Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan, Old English behabban, Middle English behaven, English behave.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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