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On Behalf of vs. in Behalf of: Usage Guide
A body of opinion favors in with the "interest, benefit" sense of behalf and on with the "support, defense" sense. This distinction has been observed by some writers but overall has never had a sound basis in actual usage. In current British use, on behalf (of) has replaced in behalf (of); both are still used in American English, but the distinction is frequently not observed.
Examples of behalf in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez also asked for no gifts at their Venice wedding, instead telling invitees that donations were being made on their behalf to the UNESCO Venice Office, CORILA and Venice International University.
—
Merle Ginsberg,
HollywoodReporter,
3 July 2026
Despite Zack urging them all to rally on his behalf, there’s instant unpleasantness.
—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
2 July 2026
Ask how the agent acting on your behalf is cryptographically identified as well as how quickly a compromised credential can be revoked without affecting the rest of the system.
—
Teodor Calin,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Trump sued his own Internal Revenue Service over the unauthorized release of his tax returns — and then, before the case could even be heard on the merits, his Justice Department settled it on his behalf.
—
Lynn Schmidt,
Mercury News,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for behalf
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Merle Ginsberg,
HollywoodReporter,
3 July 2026
Despite Zack urging them all to rally on his behalf, there’s instant unpleasantness.
—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
2 July 2026
Ask how the agent acting on your behalf is cryptographically identified as well as how quickly a compromised credential can be revoked without affecting the rest of the system.
—
Teodor Calin,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Trump sued his own Internal Revenue Service over the unauthorized release of his tax returns — and then, before the case could even be heard on the merits, his Justice Department settled it on his behalf.
—
Lynn Schmidt,
Mercury News,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for behalf
Cite this Entry
“Behalf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behalf. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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