NYT Dictionary

ETHOLOGY

/ɪˈθɑl.ə.d͡ʒi/
Noune-THOL-o-gye-thol-o-gy · 4 syllablesCollege

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2019, 2021, 2024, 2026

Meaning

The scientific study of animalian behavior, especially that of nonhuman animals.

Etymology

Origin: Latin

From the Latin ēthologia (“the art of depicting or imitating character”), from the Ancient Greek ἠθολογία (ēthología, “painting of character, especially by mimic gestures”), from ἠθολόγος (ēthológos, “painting character by mimic gestures”), from ἦθος (êthos, “character, especially moral character”). Equivalent to etho- + -logy.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

anatomyanthropologybiologycasuistryecologyempiricismentomologyhedonismherpetologyichthyology

NYT Puzzle Appearances

No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2021, 2024, 2026.

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