behest

noun

be·​hest bi-ˈhest How to pronounce behest (audio)
bē-
1
: an authoritative order : command
The meeting was called at the senator's behest.
2
: an urgent prompting
At the behest of her friends, she read the poem aloud.

Did you know?

Behest is an ancient word: it is almost a thousand years old. It was formed from the prefix be- and the verb hātan ("to command" or "to promise"), and its Old English ancestor was used exclusively in the sense of "promise," a now-obsolete meaning that continued on in Middle English especially in the phrase "the land of behest." The "command" meaning of behest is also ancient but it's still in good use, typically referring to an authoritative order. Behest is now also used with a less weighty meaning; it can refer to an urgent prompting, as in "a repeat performance at the behest of the troupe's fans."

Examples of behest in a Sentence

I only made the change at the author's behest.
Recent Examples on the Web Cyrus and his attorney are convinced that the transfer came at the D.E.A.’s behest, because there was someone at the prison that the D.E.A. was targeting. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024 The entity was created at the behest of Eric Friedlander, a resident of Sonoma County. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024 At the behest of some friends, Blackwood incorporated Pilates and core muscle work into his offseason regimen. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 Scott Brady, the former U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh, testified in the fall of last year that his investigation related to Hunter Biden and Ukraine was done at the behest of former Atty. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 At the behest of the Mexican Attorney General's office, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives traced a .50-caliber bullet used by the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación, or CJNG, in 2015 to down a military helicopter − discovering it was supplied by a Portland, Oregon man. Beth Warren, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 These, along with 247,000 other websites, were blocked at the behest of the Prosecutor General’s Office but remained accessible in Russia through VPNs. Vadim Smyslov, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024 By contrast, condominiums in four buildings where the Trump logo was removed at the behest of residents — sometimes after a legal battle — have seen their value shoot back up. Rukmini Callimachi, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Further income is often at the behest of significantly lower non-exclusive income streams from AVOD and Pay 3 windows if, indeed, revenues are still being generated by that stage. Angus Finney, Variety, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'behest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, promise, command, from Old English behǣs promise, from behātan to promise, from be- + hātan to command, promise — more at hight

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of behest was in the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Behest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behest. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

behest

noun
be·​hest bi-ˈhest How to pronounce behest (audio)
: order entry 2 sense 5b, command
built monuments at their ruler's behest

More from Merriam-Webster on behest

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