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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."
Examples of behest in a Sentence
Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025
Trump’s ignition of the Alien Enemies Act accuses the Tren de Aragua gang of acting at the behest of the Venezuelan government, clearing the way for the deportation of any Venezuelan in the U.S. over the age of 14 the administration says is a member of Tren de Aragua.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2025
Reilly and other former EPA leaders, both Republicans and Democrats, fear Trump is plummeting the United States back to the days of unchecked pollution at the behest of his campaign donors.
—Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
China’s civil-military fusion strategy enables it to leverage civilian technological benefits for military aims quickly, and at the state’s behest.
—Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for behest
Cite this Entry
“Behest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behest. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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behest
noun
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