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Whillie2000 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

On behalf or In behalf

I hear these phrases oftentimes in contests or competitions where the recipient of a particular prize is not present and someone is receiving the prize for the recipient. Those who deliver the speeches use "on behalf and in behalf". Someone told me that "on behalf must be used to represent a person, but I oftentimes hear people say "in behalf" to refer to someone, i.e., saying "In behalf of Mr. Wolford... Is this correct?
  

Top answer

Hi "On behalf" and "in behalf" are both correct, and today most of native speakers, particularly Americans, use them interchangeably. The American Heritage Book of English Usage says, however, that there is this traditional rule: use "on behalf of" to mean "as agent of, on the part of," and use "in behalf" to mean "for the benefit of". " The two phrases are actually very close in meaning.

  • Hi "On behalf" and "in behalf" are both correct, and today most of native speakers, particularly Americans, use them interchangeably.
  • The American Heritage Book of English Usage says, however, that there is this traditional rule: use "on behalf of" to mean "as agent of, on the part of," and use "in behalf" to mean "for the benefit of".
  • " The two phrases are actually very close in meaning.
  • So one should not worry about the choice at all.
  • [quoted from The Manila Times] paco
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20 Answers
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Hi

"On behalf" and "in behalf" are both correct, and today most of native speakers, particularly Americans, use them interchangeably. The American Heritage Book of English Usage says, however, that there is this traditional rule: use "on behalf of" to mean "as agent of, on the part of," and use "in behalf" to mean "for the benefit of". Examples: "Robert accepted the
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In British English only use on behalf. In behalf sound extremely odd to me.
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'In behalf' does not sound well to me as if it were not true English I ever got used to hear.
Cheers!

<e-mail removed by mod>
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Hi,

The standard phrase is 'on behalf of . . '.

Clive
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Merriam Dictionary
behalf

Main Entry:be·half
Function:noun
: interest, benefit; also : suppo
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Nona the Brit is probably right--

In the end it is just a matter of considering which kind of English one likes to get involved in- British English, Oxford English or any other English.

English, just like any other language, has taken (and is still taking) all kinds of forms.

"In Behalf" sounds weird to me, though... -:)

Cheers,

Flexicap

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0Funny, I googled up "On/In behalf of" to check if americans used them interchangeably. In British English in behalf of means for the benefit of (like raining money for a cause) and on behalf represent/agent of. 0-
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1b00in behalf of somebody02b00 /01b00 in somebody's behalf02b00 (01b00US02b00) in order to help somebody. 01i00We collected money in behalf of the homeless.02i02br
02br
01b00on behalf of:02b00 as the representative of somebody or instead of them. On behalf 01i00
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0 I use "on behalf of" to start a sentence with, and "in behalf of" in the middle of the sentence. 0-
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I would trust you more if you didn't say "start a sentence with"

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