Behalf - Definitions from Dictionary.com

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

be·half

Audio Help [bi-haf, -hahf] Pronunciation Key

—Idioms

1.	in or on behalf of, as a representative of or a proxy for: On behalf of my colleagues, I address you tonight.

2.	in or on (someone's) behalf, in the interest or aid of (someone): He interceded in my behalf.

[Origin: 1400–50; late ME; ME bihalve, earlier as adv. and prep. with the sense “near(by),” orig. as prep. phrase bi halve on one side; see be-, by, half

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Behalf

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

be·half Audio Help (bĭ-hāf', -häf') Pronunciation Key
n. Interest, support, or benefit.

[Middle English, from Old English be healfe, by (his) side : be, by, at; see by¹ + healf, side, half; see half.]

Usage Note: A traditional rule holds that in behalf of and on behalf of have distinct meanings. In behalf of means "for the benefit of," as in We raised money in behalf of the earthquake victims. On behalf of means "as the agent of, on the part of," as in The guardian signed the contract on behalf of the minor child. The two meanings are quite close, however, and the phrases are often used interchangeably, even by reputable writers.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
behalf

1303, from O.E. (him) be healfe "by (his) side," and on (his) healfe "on (his) side," from healfe "side" (see half).

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

behalf
noun
1.	as the agent of or on someone's part (usually expressed as "on behalf of" rather than "in behalf of"); "the guardian signed the contract on behalf of the minor child"; "this letter is written on behalf of my client";
2.	for someone's benefit (usually expressed as 'in behalf' rather than 'on behalf' and usually with a possessive); "in your behalf"; "campaigning in his own behalf"; "spoke a good word in his friend's behalf"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
behalf [biˈhaːf]

for, or in the interests of
Example: on behalf of all our members; I'm collecting on behalf of the blind.

Arabic:	بِالنّيابَةِ عَن
Chinese (Simplified):	代表
Chinese (Traditional):	代表
Czech:	jménem; ve prospěch, pro
Danish:	på vegne af; til fordel for
Dutch:	uit naam van, ten behoeve van
Estonian:	(kellegi) poolt, (kellegi) heaks
Finnish:	jonkun puolesta
French:	au nom de, pour
German:	zugunsten
Greek:	εκ μέρους κπ.
Hungarian:	vki nevében, helyett; vki érdekében, vki számára
Icelandic:	í nafni e-s
Indonesian:	atas nama
Italian:	a favore di*

Japanese:	～のために
Latvian:	kāda vārdā
Lithuanian:	kieno nors vardu, kieno nors naudai
Norwegian:	på vegne av
Polish:	w czyimś imieniu
Portuguese (Brazil):	em favor de
Portuguese (Portugal):	a favor de
Romanian:	în numele, pentru
Russian:	от лица; от имени
Slovak:	v mene
Slovenian:	v imenu, za
Spanish:	en nombre de; en beneficio de
Swedish:	för ngns skull, å ngns vägnar
Turkish:	adına

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Behalf

Be*half"\, n. [OE. on-behalve in the name of, bihalven by the side of, fr. AS. healf half, also side, part: akin to G. halb half, halber on account of. See Be-, and Half, n.] Advantage; favor; stead; benefit; interest; profit; support; defense; vindication.

In behalf of his mistress's beauty. --Sir P. Sidney.

Against whom he had contracted some prejudice in behalf of his nation. --Clarendon.

In behalf of, in the interest of.

On behalf of, on account of; on the part of.

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