behoof

American  

[bih-hoof] / bɪˈhuf /

noun

• behooves
  plural

1. use; advantage; benefit.

   The money was spent for his own behoof.

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behoof British  

/ bɪˈhuːf /

noun

1. rare advantage or profit

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• behooves
  plural

Etymology

Origin of behoof

before 1000; Middle English behove, Old English behōf profit, need; cognate with Dutch behoef, German Behuf

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

behoof behooves

You'd have me go hence and prison myself for the behoof of the pale idiot yonder?

From The Curse of Koshiu A Chronicle of Old Japan by Lewis Wingfield

Every hedge and ditch and gate and stile was in that ideal condition of plenary correctness which denotes that a great landowner is exhibiting the beauties of scientific farming for the behoof of his villagers.

From Anna of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett

XLI 'Twas well for the Burgundians that vaulted was the roof; This was, in all their danger, the more to their behoof.

From The Nibelungenlied Revised Edition by Unknown

Now, however, he conceived himself to stand on high vantage ground, and appealed to the aerial reflection as a splendid miracle wrought for his behoof.

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Vol. XX by Alexander Leighton

Cobweb was delighted, and constantly dragging me somewhere or another into the grounds of the pretty old place, where she arranged garden-seats in the snuggest, shadiest spots for my especial behoof.

From Friends I Have Made by George Manville Fenn

And with technology growing as rapidly as it is, it behooves the company’s bottom line to avoid damning and disparaging devices outright.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026

So it behooves investors to sell some shares of companies in the ETF.

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

“It behooves investors to at least offer a little skepticism when there is such a broad consensus that everything will go well,” said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 4, 2026

Opportunities such as this come along rarely, and it behooves retirees and near-retirees to seriously consider it for a portion of their retirement assets.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 4, 2025

‘And it behooves us to strive with care and not endanger this amicable relationship already established. Then by gradual means a better condition will come about.’

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers