Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Behaviour has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
Alternative spelling of behavior
"The teacher noted that his behaviour during the exam was unusually quiet and focused."
In plain English: Behavior is the way someone acts or conducts themselves.
"The children's noisy behaviour made it difficult for everyone to study."
Usage: Use "behaviour" as the standard British English spelling for the way someone acts in society or under specific circumstances. It functions identically to the American variant "behavior," differing only in regional orthography.
Derived from Old French behoir (to be necessary) via Anglo-French behavor, it originally meant conduct that was appropriate or fitting to one's station. The spelling shifted in British English to reflect its pronunciation, distinguishing it from the American variant "behavior.