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”; see be-, by, half
Explanation
Behalf means speaking or acting for someone. A parent can sign forms on behalf of children when they are young, but adult children can sign on behalf of their aging parents. Some people make a distinction between the meaning of the word behalf when paired with in versus on. In behalf, they argue, is used when the meaning is in the interest of someone else, but on behalf is used when speaking for someone. For example, a medical decision would be made in behalf of the patient, and you would speak on behalf of your family. The reality is that on behalf is typically used for both meanings.
Vocabulary lists containing behalf
"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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Richard Nixon's "Checkers" Speech (1952)
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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.
Postpartum psychosis, the basis of her defense, was diagnosed by Dr. Phillip Resnick and Dr. Paul Zeizel, who testified on her behalf.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
The National Trust's case was brought on behalf of member Alison Hoagland, a Washington resident who claims that seeing the finished ballroom would result in damage to her "aesthetic, cultural, and historical interests."
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
For married couples, that could include contributing to a spousal IRA on behalf of the nonworking spouse or setting aside additional retirement savings with both partners’ futures in mind.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
Moreton trades from accounts managed on behalf of various institutional backers, but it is collecting money for a fund to bet on El Niño-related disruption.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
"Colonel Yurchenko," Ames announced, "I welcome you to the United States on behalf of the president of the United States."
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
