behalf

Behalf is a noun that refers to the interest, benefit, or support of a person or group, or to the side or position of someone in a situation. It is most commonly used in the expression on behalf of, which signals representation or action performed for another’s benefit.

In modern English, the phrase on behalf of is standard for indicating delegation or advocacy. For example, someone may speak on behalf of a company, sign documents on behalf of a nonprofit, or accept awards on behalf of a team. The related phrase on my behalf or on his behalf is used when the speaker acts as the substitute or representative of another person. The form in behalf of is much less common today and can sound archaic or formal in ordinary usage.

Behalf is typically not used alone in everyday writing; it appears most often within the fixed expression on behalf of. It can also be used in phrases like in the interest of or for the benefit of, though these substitutes may carry a slightly different nuance depending on context.

Etymology traces behalf to Old English, from a composite meaning related to the side or position of someone, evolving to the sense of acting for another’s interests. Today, the word retains its core sense of representation and advocacy in the English language.

See also: representation, agent, proxy, advocacy.