Behaviourally

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that pertains to the patterns or mannerisms exhibited by an individual or group
2. Involving the study or observation of conduct and actions in different contexts
3. In a manner connected to how an individual or group acts or responds to situations

Etymology: "Behaviourally" is simply "behavioural" with the adverbial ending "-ly" added, and the adjective itself is built from "behaviour" plus "-al", a suffix taken from Latin "-ālis" that passed through Old French and Middle English before reaching its current form. The "-ly" ending has a much older pedigree: it descends from an Old English "-līce", itself rooted in a Germanic word for "body" or "form", which is why the suffix came to mean "in the manner of" something. Put together, the word describes doing something in a way that can be observed or measured from outward conduct rather than inferred from inner states. Because "-ly" attaches to almost any adjective, "behaviourally" is a transparent coinage, and its meaning follows directly from the parts: "behavioural" plus the manner suffix "-ly".