on behalf of
English
Prepositional phrase
on behalf of
- Speaking or acting for.
- On behalf of all those present, may I thank you for a well-executed presentation.
Usage notes
Although on behalf of and in behalf of are usually used interchangeably, the former steadily replacing the latter in frequency of use, a distinction in meaning has been made by some commentators. As those commentators have it:
- to "speak on behalf of a person or entity" is to "speak on one's side or part as one's explicitly or implicitly delegated representative."
- On behalf of the mayor, I declare this to be our city's fix-up and paint-up day.
- To "speak in behalf of a person or entity" is to "speak in one's interest, favor, or aid without explicit or implicit deputization, and especially if one is unable to speak for oneself."
- to plead in behalf of a cause
Historically, in was much more common (7:1) in US usage than on with behalf. Nowadays, however, it has been almost totally (30:1) replaced by on. Moreover, the remaining usage of in behalf of does not systematically follow the pattern prescribed by the commentators. Current British usage also shows on behalf of to be much more common than in behalf of. Garner's Modern American Usage (2009) suggests that interchangeability is almost completely accepted.
Synonyms
- (speaking or acting for): in behalf of (dated)
Derived terms
- for and on behalf of
Translations
speaking or acting for
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See also
- in behalf of
- in the interest of
- on account of
- on the part of
- deputy
Further reading
- behalf in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913