demeanor

C2+ Topic:People & Society

Also spelled demeanour

US /dɪˈminɚ/ UK /dɪˈmiːnə/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
outward behavior or bearing; the way a person conducts themselves

Her calm demeanor reassured the anxious patients in the waiting room.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · outward behavior or... bearing manner conduct comportment deportment mien carriage air

Word family

Related forms demean deportment

Etymology

From Middle English demenen ('to conduct, behave'), from Old French demener ('to lead, conduct, drive'), from de- ('completely') plus mener ('to lead'), from Latin minare ('to drive, lead').

demener Old French minare Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# demeanor

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈminɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈmiːnə/

## Meanings
1. outward behavior or bearing; the way a person conducts themselves

## Examples
- Her calm demeanor reassured the anxious patients in the waiting room.

## Synonyms
- bearing
- manner
- conduct
- comportment
- deportment
- mien
- carriage
- air

## Related Forms
- demean
- deportment

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: demener
- Root: minare

## Etymology
From Middle English demenen ('to conduct, behave'), from Old French demener ('to lead, conduct, drive'), from de- ('completely') plus mener ('to lead'), from Latin minare ('to drive, lead').

## AI Etymology
Demeanor is from Middle English demenen ('to conduct, behave'), from Old French demener ('to lead, conduct, drive'), from de- ('completely') plus mener ('to lead'), from Latin minare ('to drive, lead'). Important recorded forms include demener (Old French) and minare (Latin). The current sense covers outward behavior or bearing; the way a person conducts themselves. The wider family includes related words such as demean and deportment.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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