behalf
Americanidioms
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in / on behalf of, as a representative of or a proxy for.
On behalf of my colleagues, I address you tonight.
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in / on someone's behalf, in the interest or aid of (someone).
He interceded in my behalf.
noun
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
Etymology
Origin of behalf
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; Middle English bihalve, earlier as adverb and preposition with the sense “near(by),” originally, as prepositional phrase bi halve “on one side”; be-, by, half
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said the vessel, sanctioned by the US since 2024, had moved 7.3m barrels of oil on behalf of Iran.
From BBC
Holding a Chihuahua named Lucky in his lap, Rourke alleged that he didn’t know who set up a GoFundMe campaign on his behalf over the weekend.
From Los Angeles Times
“On behalf of the Saugus Cafe staff and ownership, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to our community for the incredible support you have shown us throughout the years,” read the statement.
From Los Angeles Times
At the time Khan did not speak, read or write English well, and this man told her he could file an asylum application on her behalf, for a fee amounting to several thousand dollars.
From Los Angeles Times
The rack-scale offering could deliver “game-changing” performance benefits that make it better suited for more advanced AI functions, like AI agents that can carry out tasks on a user’s behalf.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
