behalf
Americanidioms
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in / on behalf of, as a representative of or a proxy for.
On behalf of my colleagues, I address you tonight.
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in / on someone's behalf, in the interest or aid of (someone).
He interceded in my behalf.
noun
Usage
On behalf of is sometimes wrongly used where on the part of is intended. The distinction is that on behalf of someone means `for someone's benefit' or `representing someone', while on the part of someone can be roughly paraphrased as `by someone'. So, the following example is incorrect: another act of apparent negligence, this time not on behalf of the company itself, but on behalf of its banker , when what was meant was there was negligence by the company's banker
Etymology
Origin of behalf
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; Middle English bihalve, earlier as adverb and preposition with the sense “near(by),” originally, as prepositional phrase bi halve “on one side”; see be-, by, half
Explanation
Behalf means speaking or acting for someone. A parent can sign forms on behalf of children when they are young, but adult children can sign on behalf of their aging parents. Some people make a distinction between the meaning of the word behalf when paired with in versus on. In behalf, they argue, is used when the meaning is in the interest of someone else, but on behalf is used when speaking for someone. For example, a medical decision would be made in behalf of the patient, and you would speak on behalf of your family. The reality is that on behalf is typically used for both meanings.
Vocabulary lists containing behalf
"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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Richard Nixon's "Checkers" Speech (1952)
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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.
On Tuesday, the top Democrat in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, said: "She did the right thing on behalf of her constituents."
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
Did you discuss the strategy and tax impact with him ahead of time and/or did you give him carte blanche to make these kinds of decisions on your behalf?
From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026
A lawyer entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf during a brief court appearance in Los Angeles on Monday.
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026
Plus, analysts and industry experts say software vendors hold critical business data on behalf of their customers, and that function isn’t easily replaceable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
In the same book, I met with one of Sheridan’s mighty speeches on and in behalf of Catholic emancipation.
From "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" by Frederick Douglass
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.
