Kelakuan

Kelakuan is an Indonesian noun that refers to the behavior or conduct of a person or, more broadly, of an animal or group. It describes how someone acts in various situations, encompassing manner, actions, and sometimes moral judgment. The term is widely used in both everyday language and more formal or official contexts.

Etymology and form: kelakuan is formed from the root laku, meaning to act or behave, with the affixes ke- and -an to denote a state or quality. This makes kelakuan a word that focuses on the way one behaves rather than the specific action itself. In daily speech, kelakuan is often paired with qualifiers like baik (good) or buruk (bad) to express an assessment of conduct.

Usage and nuance: Kelakuan is typically more formal or written than related terms such as tingkah laku or perilaku, and is common in schools, workplaces, and legal or administrative texts. Common collocations include kelakuan baik, kelakuan buruk, kelakuan sopan (polite conduct), and kelakuan tidak menyenangkan (unpleasant conduct). While kelakuan can refer to predictable patterns of behavior, it can also carry moral connotations when used to judge someone’s actions.

Relation to other terms: Perilaku is a broader synonym for behavior, while tingkah laku emphasizes manner or demeanor in observable actions. Kelakuan often emphasizes the nature or quality of conduct, especially in evaluative or formal contexts.

See also: perilaku, tingkah laku, kelakuan baik, kelakuan tidak menyenangkan, etika.