behest

noun

be·hest | \ bi-ˈhest

, bē-\

Definition of behest

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.

Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about behest

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Did You Know?

Behest first appeared in 12th century Old English as behλst, which is formed from the prefix be- and the Old English verb hātan ("to command" or "to promise"). While the word was originally used only in the sense of "promise," it acquired the additional sense of "command" among speakers of Middle English. Among contemporary English speakers, behest is no longer used in the sense of "promise" but rather denotes an authoritative or urgent request or command. Old English hātan also gave English the now-archaic words hest (meaning "command") and hight ("being called or named").

Examples of behest in a Sentence

I only made the change at the author's behest.

Recent Examples on the Web

Thomas smuggled the drugs in at the behest of another inmate, who sold the drugs to Angle. — Adam Ferrise, cleveland.com, "Cuyahoga County Jail officers, Heartless Felons gang members charged in drug ring inside troubled jail," 28 Aug. 2019 The settlement talks have been underway for months, largely at the behest of Judge Dan Polster, the federal judge in Cleveland who is overseeing some 2,000 lawsuits by the local governments against companies in the opioids industry. — Jan Hoffman, BostonGlobe.com, "Sacklers would give up ownership of Purdue pharma in proposed $3 billion settlement," 28 Aug. 2019 The results serve the goals of both governments, which have targeted unauthorized migration at the behest of President Donald Trump, who threatened Mexico with potentially crippling tariffs earlier this year to force action. — Washington Post, "US, Mexico widen asylum crackdown to push back all migrants," 28 Aug. 2019 The players did so at the behest of their offensive coordinator, who since his arrival in January from North Texas harped on the importance of the group’s chemistry. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, "USC’s offensive line hits the grill in order to build up camaraderie," 28 Aug. 2019 Tuesday’s court hearing was scheduled at the behest of U.S. District Judge Richard Berman, who is overseeing the case. — NBC News, "Jeffrey Epstein's accusers met with feds after emotional testimony, sources say," 28 Aug. 2019 The settlement talks have been underway for months, largely at the behest of Judge Dan Polster, the federal judge in Cleveland who is overseeing some 2,000 lawsuits by the local governments against companies in the opioids industry. — Jan Hoffman, New York Times, "Sacklers Would Give Up Ownership of Purdue Pharma Under Settlement Proposal," 27 Aug. 2019 On Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made a surprise visit at the summit at the behest of French President Emmanuel Macron. — Fox News, "China seeks 'calm' to trade war with US; Trump: We're not seeking regime change in Iran," 26 Aug. 2019 Sanders, fighting to be the Democratic nominee in 2020, accused McConnell of blocking important legislation in the U.S. Senate at the behest of corporate interests and detriment of the working class. — Joe Sonka, The Courier-Journal, "Bernie Sanders calls on Mitch McConnell to 'stop your cowardice' in Louisville rally," 25 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'behest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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behest

Definition of behest

Synonyms for behest

Did You Know?

Examples of behest in a Sentence

First Known Use of behest

History and Etymology for behest

behest

Definition of behest

Synonyms for behest

Did You Know?

Examples of behest in a Sentence

First Known Use of behest

History and Etymology for behest

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