ENGLISH
REFERENCE

on behalf of sb

prep. phr..
C1 Advanced Oxford

prep. phr.. you use this when you are doing something for another person or representing a group.

prep. phr.. acting as a representative of another person or entity; functioning as a proxy or agent for a principal party.


SIMPLE

I am writing this letter on behalf of my manager.

CONTEXTUAL

The lawyer made a short statement on behalf of her client before leaving the courthouse.

COMPLEX

The ambassador accepted the humanitarian award on behalf of the entire nation, citing the collective resilience of its citizens during the crisis.

Usage

usually followed by a person, a company, or a specific group of people.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'for the sake of' (benefit) versus 'on behalf of' (representation); learners often confuse these two distinct purposes.

Pitfall

on the behalf of the companyon behalf of the companydo not include 'the' before 'behalf' in this fixed prepositional phrase.

© 2026 English Reference