behalf
//bɪˈhæf//
Forms
- Plural
- behalves
Definitions
1.The interest, benefit, or wellbeing of someone or something.
- She appeared on behalf of the U.N. Secretary General at a conference held in behalf of the world's children.
- The one exception to this was William Hilhouse, who was widely regarded as the colonist with the greatest experience of the interior and its native inhabitants, on whose behalf he endlessly campaigned.
2.One's role or rightful place; stead or authority.
- He was not only my Representative who died on my behalf; He was my Substitute who died in my very stead.
- Hillary Clinton hasn’t hit the campaign trail yet on behalf of Democrats running in 2018, but that isn’t stopping Republicans from using the former 2016 Democratic presidential nominee as a reliable campaign boogeyman.
Frequency
Overall
Rare· #4460
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Rare
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
From Middle English bihalve (“nearby”)
From Old English bī healfe (“by [his/her] side”)
From bī (“by”) + healfe (“side, half”), equivalent to be- + half.