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โ‡ฑ ETHOLOGICAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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1
: a branch of knowledge dealing with human character and with its formation and evolution
2
: the scientific and objective study of animal behavior especially under natural conditions

Examples of ethology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the time, the fields of primatology, ethology, anthropology, and all of science were incredibly male-dominated. โ€”๐Ÿ‘ Image
Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025 Goodall later earned a PhD in ethology, the study of animal behavior, from the University of Cambridge. โ€”๐Ÿ‘ Image
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025 Research professor Daniel Kruger with the University of Michigan and University at Buffalo works with ethology, the study of human behavior through a biological lens. โ€”๐Ÿ‘ Image
Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 Starting in 1961, Goodall returned periodically to Cambridge for what became four years of doctoral studies in ethology. โ€”๐Ÿ‘ Image
Ralph Blumenthal, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024 Melissa Bateson, a professor of ethology at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, has studied ways to communicate with animals and consulted with Cronin. โ€”๐Ÿ‘ Image
Lorna Collier, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2016

Word History

Etymology

Greek ethos + English -logy

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ethology was in 1843

Rhymes for ethology

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Cite this Entry

โ€œEthology.โ€ Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethology. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

: the scientific study of animal behavior

Medical Definition

plural ethologies
: the scientific and objective study of animal behavior especially under natural conditions

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