behalf

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Related to behalf: on your behalf, on his behalf

be·half

(bĭ-hăf′, -häf′)

Interest, support, or benefit.

Idiom:

on/in behalf of

1. As the agent of; on the part of.

2. For the benefit of; in the interest of.

[Middle English, from Old English be healfe, by (his) side : be, by, at; see by¹ + healf, side, half; see half.]

Usage Note: A traditional rule holds that in behalf of and on behalf of have distinct meanings. According to this rule, in behalf of means "for the benefit of," as in We raised money in behalf of the earthquake victims, while its counterpart on behalf of means "as the agent of, on the part of," as in The guardian signed the contract on behalf of the child. But as the two meanings are quite close, the phrases are often used interchangeably, even by reputable writers. Statistically, on behalf of is used far more frequently than in behalf of, and in fact the Usage Panel prefers on behalf of for both meanings. In our 2004 survey, 87 percent of the Panel preferred on behalf of in the sentence The lawyer spoke to the media (in behalf of/on behalf of) his client, conforming to the traditional rule for using on behalf of. But some 75 percent also preferred on behalf of in the sentence After sitting silently as one complaint after another was raised, he finally spoke up (in behalf of/on behalf of) his kid's coach, where the speaker is less of a spokesperson than an ad-hoc defender, and so the meaning "in defense of, for the benefit of" is a better fit, and the traditional rule therefore would require in behalf of. All this suggests that on behalf of may be generally supplanting in behalf of.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

behalf

(bɪˈhɑːf)

interest, part, benefit, or respect (only in the phrases on (someone's) behalf, on or US and Canadian in behalf of, in this (or that) behalf)

[Old English be halfe from be by + halfe side; compare Old Norse af halfu]

Usage: On behalf of is sometimes wrongly used where on the part of is intended. The distinction is that on behalf of someone means 'for someone's benefit' or 'representing someone', while on the part of someone can be roughly paraphrased as 'by someone'. So, the following example is incorrect: another act of apparent negligence, this time not on behalf of the company itself, but on behalf of its banker, when what was meant was there was negligence by the company's banker

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

be•half

(bɪˈhæf, -ˈhɑf)

n.

interest; support.

Idioms:

1. in or on behalf of, as a representative of or a proxy for.

2. in or on someone's behalf, in someone's interests.

[1400–50; late Middle English; Middle English bihalve]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	behalf - as the agent of or on someone's part (usually expressed as "on behalf of" rather than "in behalf of"); "the guardian signed the contract on behalf of the minor child"; "this letter is written on behalf of my client"; lieu, stead, place, position - the post or function properly or customarily occupied or served by another; "can you go in my stead?"; "took his place"; "in lieu of"
	2.	behalf - for someone's benefit (usually expressed as `in behalf' rather than `on behalf' and usually with a possessive); "in your behalf"; "campaigning in his own behalf"; "spoke a good word in his friend's behalf" sake, interest - a reason for wanting something done; "for your sake"; "died for the sake of his country"; "in the interest of safety"; "in the common interest"

behalf

noun

on something or someone's behalf or on behalf of something or someone

1. as a representative of, representing, in the name of, as a spokesperson for She made an emotional public appeal on her son's behalf. On behalf of my wife and myself, I'd like to thank you all.

2. for the benefit of, for the sake of, in support of, on the side of, in the interests of, on account of, for the good of, in defence of, to the advantage of, for the profit of The honour recognizes work done on behalf of classical theatre. The pupils were enthusiastic in their fund-raising efforts on the charity's behalf.

Usage: On behalf of is sometimes wrongly used as an alternative to on the part of. The distinction is that on behalf of someone means `for someone's benefit' or `representing someone', while on the part of someone can be roughly paraphrased as `by someone'.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

بِالنّيابَةِ عَن

jménemprove prospěch

zugunsten

soutien

í nafni e-s

di favore per per conto

kieno nors naudaikieno nors vardu

kāda vārdā

v imenu

adına

代表

behalf

[bɪˈhɑːf] N on or > in behalf of (US) → en nombre de, de parte de
a collection on behalf of orphans → una colecta en beneficio de los huérfanos, una colecta para los huérfanos
I interceded on his behalf → intercedí por él
don't worry on my behalf → no te preocupes por mí

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

behalf

[bɪˈhæf bɪˈhɑːf] n
on sb's behalf (British) in sb's behalf (US) (= for) → pour qn
I felt offended on her behalf → J'en étais offensé pour elle. (= as representative of) → au nom de qn
to accept sth on sb's behalf → accepter qch au nom de qn
to speak on sb's behalf → parler au nom de qn
to write on sb's behalf → écrire de la part de qn
to campaign on sb's behalf → mener une campagne pour qn
on behalf of (British) in behalf of (US) (= for) [+ person, organization] → pour (= as representative of) → au nom de
on behalf of my mother, I → au nom de ma mère, je ... (= as spokesperson for)
I approached him on behalf of the committee → Je l'ai contacté de la part du comité.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

behalf

n on or in (US) behalf of → für, im Interesse von; (as spokesman) → im Namen von; (as authorized representative) → im Auftrag von; I’m not asking on my own behalf → ich bitte nicht für mich selbst or in meinem eigenen Interesse darum

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

behalf

[bɪˈhɑːf] n on behalf of or (Am) in behalf of (prep) → per conto di; (thank, accept) → a nome di
he spoke on my behalf → ha parlato a nome mio

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

behalf

(biˈhaːf) : on behalf of (someone)

for, or in the interests of. on behalf of all our members; I'm collecting on behalf of the blind.

behalf

n. en beneficio, a favor;

on your ___ → a su favor, por usted.

References in classic literature ?

The doctor remonstrated to him privately concerning this behaviour, but could obtain no other satisfaction than the following plain declaration: "If you dislike anything in my brother's house, sir, you know you are at liberty to quit it." This strange, cruel, and almost unaccountable ingratitude in the captain, absolutely broke the poor doctor's heart; for ingratitude never so thoroughly pierces the human breast as when it proceeds from those in whose behalf we have been guilty of transgressions.

View in context

Speaker, I have heard with profound attention and entire approval the explanation of the honourable member, and wish to offer a few remarks on my own behalf. I, too, have been foully calumniated by our ancient enemy, the Infamous Falsehood, and I wish to point out that I am made of the fur of the MUSTELA MACULATA, which is dirty from birth."

View in context

unable to combat in her own behalf, she doth offer, by a champion instead thereof, to avouch her case, he performing his loyal devoir in all knightly sort, with such arms as to gage of battle do fully appertain, and that at her peril and cost.

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In behalf of the dignity of whaling, I would fain advance naught but substantiated facts.

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Prince Vasili kept the promise he had given to Princess Drubetskaya who had spoken to him on behalf of her only son Boris on the evening of Anna Pavlovna's soiree.

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I have come to speak on behalf of the Vicomte de Bragelonne."

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"Not in my own behalf: on that score I--I have fully dealt with myself.

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Losberne was with them, and would be for the next two days; but Rose was too well acquainted with the excellent gentleman's impetuosity, and foresaw too clearly the wrath with which, in the first explosion of his indignation, he would regard the instrument of Oliver's recapture, to trust him with the secret, when her representations in the girl's behalf could be seconded by no experienced person.

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In this dialogue, the whole argument in behalf of slavery was brought forward by the master, all of which was disposed of by the slave.

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Although I had made up my mind to play, I felt averse to doing so on behalf of some one else.

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Caswall came so soon after I arrived, that he, or someone on his behalf, must have been watching for me.

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"The defendant has not been heard, nor has he had an opportunity to call others in his behalf. In the name of the people of Helium I demand fair and impartial treatment for the Prince of Helium."