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.
Gen. Michael Flynn at Trump Tower and traveled at their behest to China to meet with Premier Xi Jinping and set up an early bilateral meeting between the two leaders.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
The closed-end fund will not issue or redeem shares at the behest of a market maker.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 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
Ittai later told me he thought that was "bizarre," particularly as one of the items was accounted for only because it had been returned at his behest.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
In 1574, Tycho spent part of his time in observing, but most of the year in Copenhagen, where, at the behest of the King, he gave a series of lectures at the university.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
