Word
behest
Phoneticsbe·hest
US/bɪˈhɛst/
UK/bɪhˈɛst/
Definition
n. a formal request or order from someone in a high position.
n. an authoritative command or bidding; in modern usage, it typically implies acting under the influence or direction of another.
Examples
“The soldiers followed the order on the king's behest.”
“The judge ordered the evidence to be sealed at the request of the defense, following the behest of the court.”
“The council acted on the behest of the mayor, implementing the new policy despite significant opposition from the local business community.”
Examples
simple
“The soldiers followed the order on the king's behest.”
contextual
“The judge ordered the evidence to be sealed at the request of the defense, following the behest of the court.”
complex
“The council acted on the behest of the mayor, implementing the new policy despite significant opposition from the local business community.”
Usage
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'at the behest of' or 'at someone's behest'.
Teaching tip
This word is very formal and rare in everyday conversation; students should recognize it in news or literature but use 'at the request of' in their own writing.
Real-World Examples
“Musk, the world’s richest person, is a leading donor to Republicans and undertook an unelected reorganization of the federal government last year at the behest of Donald Trump.” “Instead, Janko explains, a scribe recorded the poet’s words, perhaps at the behest of a patron.” Etymology
From Middle English biheste, from Old English behǣs (“vow, promise”), from Proto-West Germanic bihaisi, from bi- (“be-”) + haisi (“command”), from Proto-Germanic haisiz, from *haitaną (“to command”). Final -t by analogy with other similar words in -t. Related to Old English behātan (“to command, promise”), Middle Low German beheit, behēt (“a promise”). Compare also hest (“command”), hight.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/behest