demeanor

(dĭ-mē'nər)
n.
The way in which a person behaves; deportment.

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noun

Behavior through which one reveals one's personality: address, air, bearing, manner, mien, presence, style. Archaic port. See be, style/good style/bad style.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

The outward physical behavior and appearance of a person.

Demeanor is not merely what someone says but the manner in which it is said. Factors that contribute to an individual's demeanor include tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures, and carriage.

The term demeanor is most often applied to a witness during a trial. Demeanor evidence is quite valuable in shedding light on the credibility of a witness, which is one of the reasons why personal presence at trial is considered to be of paramount importance and has great significance concerning the hearsay rule. To aid a jury in its determination of whether or not it should believe or disbelieve particular testimony, it should be provided with the opportunity to hear statements directly from a witness in court whenever possible.

IN BRIEF: Outward manner or conduct.

If you treat with courtesy your equal, who is privileged to resent an impertinence, how much more cautious should you be to your dependents, from whom you demand a respectful demeanor. — Robert Chambers (1802-1871).

Tutor's tip: Your quiet "demeanor" (behavior, particularly toward others) should not make anyone think you are a "demeaner" (one who degrades, debases, or demeans) of others.

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Behavior towards others; body language.

For a list of words related to demeanor, see:

• Aspects and Components of Appearance - demeanor: outward manner, behavior toward others

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See words rhyming with "demeanor."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Demeanour.

Common misspelling(s) of demeanor

• damenor
• demenor

Dansk (Danish)
n. - optræden, holdning

Français (French)
n. - comportement, attitude, conduite, maintien

Deutsch (German)
n. - Benehmen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - συμπεριφορά, διαγωγή

Italiano (Italian)
condotta

Português (Portuguese)
n. - comportamento (m), porte (m)

Русский (Russian)
поведение, манеры

Español (Spanish)
n. - porte, conducta

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - uppträdande

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
行为, 举止

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 行為, 舉止

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 태도 , 행실

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 振舞い, 態度

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮התנהגות‬

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