# learned behavior

CEFR B2 · Compound

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/learned-behavior
Updated: 2026-07-28

## Definition

a way of acting that you pick up from your environment or by practicing, rather than being born with it.

For teachers: an action or reaction acquired through experience, observation, or conditioning, as opposed to innate or instinctual responses.

## Examples

- Using a fork is a learned behavior, not an instinct.
- Psychologists believe that many of our social habits are actually learned behavior from our early childhood years.
- The researcher argued that the birds' ability to open milk bottles was a learned behavior passed down through the local population.

## Usage notes

- often used in scientific, psychological, or educational contexts to contrast with 'instinct'.
- Teaching tip: use this to teach the difference between 'innate' and 'acquired'; it is a useful term for students discussing nature versus nurture.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.