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`behest
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`behest noun
`
`be· hest bi-ˈhest 
`Synonyms of behest
`
`bē-
`
`1
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`2
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`: an authoritative order : COMMAND
`The meeting was called at the senator's behest.
`
`: an urgent prompting
`At the behest of her friends, she read the poem aloud.
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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."
`
`charge
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`decree
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`directive
`
`imperative
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`order
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`command
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`dictate
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`do
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`injunction
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`word
`
`commandment
`
`direction
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`edict
`
`instruction
`
`See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
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`I only made the change at the author's behest.
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`Recent Examples on the Web
`
`Once again, David Gordon Green and Danny McBride have taken it upon themselves to futz with a 1970s horror classic at the behest
`of horror über-producer Jason Blum.
`Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2023
`
`Left unpublished, the suite was salvaged first by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov as a solo piano suite, further orchestrated by one of his
`students, and, decades later at the behest of Serge Koussevitzky, properly arranged for orchestra (in its most familiar and enduring
`form) in 1922 by Maurice Ravel.
`Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 24 Sep. 2023
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`These include a multitude of investment stakes in cinema chains, publishing operations and film and TV production companies that
`the group bought, it is widely believed, at the behest of the Chinese government.
`Patrick Frater, Variety, 19 Sep. 2023
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`SAMSUNG 1045
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`IPR2022-00222
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`These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'behest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not
`Definition
`Synonyms
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`represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
`
`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
`
`Time Traveler
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`The first known use of behest was in the 12th century
`See more words from the same century
`
`at the behest of someone
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`at someone's behest
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`behenic acid
`behest
`behight
`
`Style MLA
`
`See More Nearby Entries 
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`“Behest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behest. Accessed
`13 Oct. 2023.
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`behest noun
`
`be· hest bi-ˈhest 
`: ORDER entry 2 sense 5b, COMMAND
`built monuments at their ruler's behest
`
`Nglish: Translation of behest for Spanish Speakers
`
`Last Updated: 7 Oct 2023 - Updated example sentences
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