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.
Others charge a set rate to submit applications on a candidate’s behalf.
This position is adopted in order to protect the identities of people who operate undercover on behalf of the state, or who take risks to assist the security forces.
From BBC
Gregor Townsend gave something of a party political broadcast on behalf of the positivity party in the aftermath, a promise of jam tomorrow after gruel today.
From BBC
One of the harder adjustments was getting comfortable speaking up to doctors on behalf of patients, but she says her voice rings louder when she’s advocating for them.
"We never suspected a thing with him at all. But I don't know, the boys might have to say something different, but I don't know. I can't speak on behalf of them," she said.
From BBC
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.
