behest

noun

be·​hest bi-ˈhest 

bē-

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.

Did you know?

Behest is an ancient word: it is almost a thousand years old. It was formed from the prefix be- and the verb hātan ("to command" or "to promise"), and its Old English ancestor was used exclusively in the sense of "promise," a now-obsolete meaning that continued on in Middle English especially in the phrase "the land of behest." The "command" meaning of behest is also ancient but it's still in good use, typically referring to an authoritative order. Behest is now also used with a less weighty meaning; it can refer to an urgent prompting, as in "a repeat performance at the behest of the troupe's fans."

Synonyms

• charge
• command
• commandment
• decree
• dictate
• direction
• directive
• do
• edict
• imperative
• injunction
• instruction
• order
• word

Examples of behest in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Multiple agents working in tandem at the behest of an orchestrator will soon become the norm. —Shailesh Manjrekar, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

At the behest of the caller, Sandra escalates the situation to a strip search, which quickly descends into a whirlwind of abuse. —Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 19 Jan. 2025

News networks are shaking up their lineups, editorial pages are recasting their attitudes at the behest of wealthy owners and corporate media parent companies are settling lawsuits with Mr. Trump or considering doing so. —Peter Baker, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025

Tech companies are also used to removing apps at the behest of governments. —Haleluya Hadero, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, promise, command, from Old English behǣs promise, from behātan to promise, from be- + hātan to command, promise — more at hight

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing behest

• at someone's behest
• at the behest of someone

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Kids Definition

behest

noun

be·​hest bi-ˈhest 

: order entry 2 sense 5b, command

built monuments at their ruler's behest