noun
Etymology
Origin of behest
before 1000; Middle English bihest ( e ), Old English behǣs promise. See be-, hest
Explanation
Behest is an authoritative command or request. If your boss or principal asks to see you, you go to their office at their behest. Behest rhymes with "request" and they almost mean the same thing, if you give your request a little authoritative oomph, just a tad bit of "or else." Another difference between these words is that you can't use behest as a verb: You can't behest someone. You act according to their behest. The root word here is the Old English hehaes, means "a vow."
Vocabulary lists containing behest
Romeo and Juliet
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This Week in Words: August 6 - 10, 2018
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
The closed-end fund will not issue or redeem shares at the behest of a market maker.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026
Yet state lawmakers continue to propose and pass reforms at the behest of hospitals to protect this unintended windfall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Her fable depicts twin sisters on a revenge road trip, seeking to right the wrongs of their early childhood at the behest of their estranged mother and find some catharsis along the way.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
He gave the example of a hot trend in "agentic" AI in which digital assistants handle computer tasks independently at the behest of people.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026
The arrangement, she explained at the behest of Alvin Hooks when the court had been called into session again, included a five-hundred-dollar down payment and an eight-year “lease-to-own” contract.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
