Pavlovian
adjective
Pav·lov·i·an
pav-ˈlȯ-vē-ən 
-ˈlō-;
-ˈlȯ-fē-
Examples of Pavlovian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Not only does Pavlovian enter with the most starts (10), its owner and trainer have twice won the Derby together.
—
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 2 May 2026
O’Neill, who also has Pavlovian as a starter, named Cristian Torres to ride Robusta because Emisael Jaramillo had commitments at Santa Anita.
—Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
These sights have come to inspire a Pavlovian response from generations of children, and — no less powerfully — a Proustian one from their parents.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
The chestnut colt won the Louisiana Derby in March with fellow Derby contenders Pavlovian and Golden Tempo in second and third, respectively.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Meanwhile, Emerging Market won his February debut at Tampa Bay Downs by 1 3/4 lengths before beating Pavlovian by a head in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 21.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
Someone suggests aguachile, a word that makes Top Chef fans everywhere — or maybe just me — shudder in Pavlovian irritation given its ubiquity in this competition.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Why this is so is based on a number of factors, including official priorities, trade-offs, and what many suspect is Pavlovian manipulation.
—New Atlas, 16 Dec. 2025
Trainer Doug O’Neill has three contenders in Saul Elliott, Thirsty Rebel and Pavlovian.
—Kevin Modesti, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025
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Andrew Greif, NBC news, 2 May 2026
O’Neill, who also has Pavlovian as a starter, named Cristian Torres to ride Robusta because Emisael Jaramillo had commitments at Santa Anita.
—Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
These sights have come to inspire a Pavlovian response from generations of children, and — no less powerfully — a Proustian one from their parents.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
The chestnut colt won the Louisiana Derby in March with fellow Derby contenders Pavlovian and Golden Tempo in second and third, respectively.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Meanwhile, Emerging Market won his February debut at Tampa Bay Downs by 1 3/4 lengths before beating Pavlovian by a head in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 21.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
Someone suggests aguachile, a word that makes Top Chef fans everywhere — or maybe just me — shudder in Pavlovian irritation given its ubiquity in this competition.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Why this is so is based on a number of factors, including official priorities, trade-offs, and what many suspect is Pavlovian manipulation.
—New Atlas, 16 Dec. 2025
Trainer Doug O’Neill has three contenders in Saul Elliott, Thirsty Rebel and Pavlovian.
—Kevin Modesti, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pavlovian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pavlovian. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
Pavlovian
adjective
Pav·lov·ian
pav-ˈlȯ-vē-ən
-ˈlō-; -ˈlȯ-fē-
-ˈlō-; -ˈlȯ-fē-
: of or relating to Ivan Pavlov or to his work and theories
Pavlovian conditioning
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