behove

[bih-hohv]

verb (used with or without object)

Chiefly British.

behoved, behoving 

1. a variant of behoove.

behove

/ bɪˈhuːv, bɪˈhəʊv /

verb

1. archaic,  (tr; impersonal) to be necessary or fitting for

   it behoves me to arrest you

Word History and Origins

Origin of behove¹

Old English behōfian ; related to Middle Low German behōven

Example Sentences

"So I think that there is criminality to investigate here and that it behoves the Northern Ireland Executive to set up the inquiry that has long been sought here and long been denied."

From BBC

"So it behoves us to do the least we can to try and help them."

From BBC

It ill behoves either him or Bruckner to try to frame this as evidence of a vindictive philistine world.

From The Guardian

It would behove him to consider, though, that a teenager also deserves to be defended in the face of much worse things besides.

From The Guardian

It does not behove – behoove? – us to stoop to the level of feeding stories.

From The Guardian