behalf
behalf — noun
1. speaking, acting, or doing something as the official representative of another p
speaking, acting, or doing something as the official representative of another person or group, with their authority — for example, a lawyer arguing in court for a client, or an assistant signing a letter when the manager is away.
Tariq accepted the award on behalf of his grandfather, who was too ill to travel.
fixed phrase: on behalf of + person
The lawyer signed the contract on behalf of the company.
on behalf of + organization
On behalf of the whole team, I want to thank our coach for a wonderful season.
Saoirse called the bank on his mother's behalf because she did not speak English.
The minister will travel to Tokyo on behalf of the government next week.
- representing
verb form; 'on behalf of' is the noun-phrase equivalent
- as a representative of
longer formal paraphrase, same meaning
- for
very informal stand-in: 'I'm signing for my dad'
文法句型
on behalf of + person/group
on someone's behalf
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'on behalf of [someone]' or 'on someone's behalf'. The noun is rarely used by itself outside these phrases. American English sometimes uses 'in behalf of' for sense 2 (benefit), but 'on behalf of' is now standard for both meanings in most modern writing.
常見錯誤
2. with the goal of helping, supporting, or protecting someone, or for their benefi
with the goal of helping, supporting, or protecting someone, or for their benefit — for example, a parent fighting the school board to get extra support for their child, or campaigners working to free a prisoner.
Mrs. Ilya wrote to the principal on behalf of her son, who was being bullied at school.
for someone's benefit / protection
Volunteers raised over fifty thousand dollars on behalf of the flood victims.
fundraising / charitable cause
The senator pushed hard on behalf of small farmers in her home state.
Don't worry on my behalf — I can take care of the problem myself.
Many lawyers worked for free on behalf of the prisoners on death row.
- for the sake of
everyday equivalent for benefit/protection
- in support of
stresses backing a cause or person
- in the interest of
formal; emphasises someone's welfare
- against
opposite when the action helps vs. opposes someone
文法句型
on behalf of + person/cause
on someone's behalf
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 by intent: sense 2 is about helping or supporting someone, not formally representing them. If you can replace the phrase with 'for the benefit of' or 'in support of', this is sense 2. Older American writing uses 'in behalf of' for this meaning, but most modern style guides accept 'on behalf of' for both senses.