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Showing results for "behove"

behove

American  
[bih-hohv] / bɪˈhoʊv /

verb (used with or without object)

Chiefly British.
  • behoves,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • behoved,
    past participle,  past
  • behoving
    present participle
  1. a variant of behoove.


behove British  
/ bɪˈhuːv, bɪˈhəʊv /

verb

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

    it behoves me to arrest you

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future


Etymology

Origin of behove

Old English behōfian ; related to Middle Low German behōven


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.

See Examples For:

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

From The Guardian ● Feb. 7, 2019

If privacy really does matter to the US public, it might behove the applicants to promise some kind of action against the rise of Big Brother Inc.

From Forbes ● Apr. 15, 2015

It probably doesn't behove a rock critic to admit that his favourite radio show is something presented by Dale Winton on .

From The Guardian ● May 5, 2010

I ascertained that they wished me to perform, and it behove me to comply, that I might avoid detection.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

Put on this garment to thy behove, Which with your tears is now all wet, Lest before God it be unsweet When you to your journey's end come shall.

From Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse by Various

“It behoves upon America to work closely with the Republic of the Philippines, especially on this serious matter.”

From Reuters ● Sep. 26, 2017

Something is happening here and it behoves people to try to understand it, whether or not they like it.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 27, 2016

“Fellow citizens, this is a national fight, and it behoves all of us to stand together to promote the truth about this deadly disease,” Mr. Koroma said.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 31, 2014

When someone’s freedom—and, in an American context, possibly his life, as well—is at stake, it surely behoves forensic-science laboratories to take precautions that are equally strong.

From Economist ● Jan. 19, 2012

It therefore behoves everyone to set a guard over that liberty, for the loss of which no religion will ever compensate.

From The History Of The Last Trial By Jury For Atheism In England A Fragment of Autobiography Submitted for the Perusal of Her Majesty's Attorney-General and the British Clergy by George Jacob Holyoake

But you denied me: so then forthwith I behoved to have it; belike had gone through fire and water for't.

From The Cloister and the Hearth A Tale of the Middle Ages by Charles Reade

It clearly behoved the second wife to rummage in the cupboards of the first.

From The Maid of Honour (Vol. 3 of 3) A Tale of the Dark Days of France by Lewis Wingfield

If perchance he had more to fear from man than from nature—why, it behoved him, an English boy, and a Devon boy to boot, to face his destiny with a stout heart.

From With Drake on the Spanish Main by Herbert Strang

Meanwhile it behoved him to play Grand Seigneur.

From My Lords of Strogue Vol. III, (of III) A Chronicle of Ireland, from the Convention to the Union by Lewis Wingfield

He was not affiliated to the society, nor had the remotest ambition of becoming so; for he knew that it behoved not one of his order to join in such movements as this.

From My Lords of Strogue, Vol. I (of III) A Chronicle of Ireland, from the Convention to the Union by Lewis Wingfield

So, since the principles are the cause of our knowing and behoving we know and believe them more, because by reason of them we know also the conclusion following.

From Ethics by Aristotle

To this the lady much demurred, but, it behoving her ensue her husband's pleasure, she promised to do his bidding and followed him to the saloon, to hear what Il Zima should say.

From The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio by John Payne

Sure to any behoving soul it is above a monarchy; for it includes an anointing both to a royal and priestly office, and carries a title to a kingdom incorruptible and undefiled.

From The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning by Hugh Binning

Oh, don't be cross, miss! please not to be cross," cried Daniel, running after her; "I would tell you all about it this very instant moment, if it were behoving to me.

From Springhaven : a Tale of the Great War by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore

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