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

However, the team’s president has promised that the notoriously frugal owner John Fisher is open to making signings at the behest of Arena and general manager Chris Leitch. —Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 19 Dec. 2024

Thompson: The overhead catenary technology that’s being installed in Charlotte now was invented at the behest of Emperor Alexander II of Russia in the early 1880s for a rail line in St. Petersburg, which was then Russia’s capital. —IEEE Spectrum, 18 Dec. 2024

While the issue isn't novel, the pressing need for the defense industry to pump out more equipment at the behest of European governments, is. —Ellie Cook, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024

Part of the buildup to the war was an effort by Russia to portray Ukraine, without evidence, as a hub for producing weapons of mass destruction at the behest of the West. —Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2024

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