on behalf of/in behalf of

J

jokker

Senior Member
Chinese/Taiwan
Are "on behalf of" and "in behalf of" interchangeable to native English speakers?

I don't understand. Some dictionaries say they have distinct meanings, others say "on behalf of" equals to "in behalf", and one only lists "on behalf of" (no "in behalf of").

Could you enlighten me on them? Thank you very much.
 
    • I've never heard "in behalf of", it's always "on behalf of". Maybe it's a regional thing but for me I've never once heard "in behalf of".
     
    In behalf of means "for the benefit of." {We raised money in behalf of the poor.} On behalf of means "as the agent of, on the part of." {I will sign on behalf of my mother.}
     
    Thank you very much, Markus and river.:)

    Does this mean that there used to be "on behalf of" and "in behalf of", and people (native English speakers) use "on behalf of" more often nowadays, which means that "on behalf of" can be used in place of "in behalf of"?
     
    It means that not many people recognise the distinction that river has pointed out (including me until today - thanks river:) ). I have never heard in behalf of used. I would guess that this distinction has been fading out with increasingly casual use of on behalf of taking over. On behalf of is used in place of in behalf of, but I can feel a local campaign beginning soon in behalf of proper use of in behalf and on behalf.

    I was going to say that all those people collecting on behalf of a charity should say that they are collecting in behalf of the charity - but that's not true..
    They are collecting on behalf of the charity which is seeking funds in behalf of its cause.
     
    Oh, thank you so much! panjandrum.:) :)

    I have never heard in behalf of used. I would guess that this distinction has been fading out with increasingly casual use of on behalf of taking over.
    Click to expand...
    On behalf of is used in place of in behalf of, but I can feel a local campaign beginning soon in behalf of proper use of in behalf and on behalf.

    I was going to say that all those people collecting on behalf of a charity should say that they are collecting in behalf of the charity - but that's not true..
    They are collecting on behalf of the charity which is seeking funds in behalf of its cause.
    Click to expand...
    Many thanks for these two good example sentences, panjandrum.:) I just realized them! Especially the first one.:) Now they are much clear.
    Edit: No, no, no. Sentence 1 and 2 are equally good.:D Maybe 2 is a little better than 1...You are good!
     
    1) Please don't leave on my behalf.
    2) Please don't leave because of me.

    Is there any difference between 1 and 2 ?
     
    I have absolutely never once in my life heard or seen or read or witnessess in behalf of. That sounds completely bizarre and incorrent to me.

    Ooh googlesearch gives only 275 finds for "in behalf of", and I'd bet that many of them are typos.

    Just my 2 cents.
     
    Ahhh usage note from dictionary.com. I guess that's where people got the "for the benefit of" vs "as the agent from" definitions. Dictionary says:

    Usage Note: A traditional rule holds that in behalf of and on behalf of have distinct meanings. In behalf of means “for the benefit of,” as in We raised money in behalf of the earthquake victims. On behalf of means “as the agent of, on the part of,” as in The guardian signed the contract on behalf of the minor child. The two meanings are quite close, however, and the phrases are often used interchangeably, even by reputable writers.
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    Frankly, "in behalf of" sounds so odd and outdated that even if it used to be correct I would never say it now. Just my opinion. :)
     
    river said:
    In behalf of means "for the benefit of." {We raised money in behalf of the poor.} On behalf of means "as the agent of, on the part of." {I will sign on behalf of my mother.}
    Click to expand...

    Related :-

    On behalf of should not be confused with on the part of, which means 'proceeding from, done or initiated by'. Behalf cannot replace part in His death was largely due to panic on his part. Note the different senses expressed by a long struggle on behalf of the strikers ( the struggle being carried out by people other than the strickers ), and a long struggle on the part of the strikers ( the struggle being carried out by the strickers ).
    Click to expand...

    The OED mentioned that in behalf of is especially used in the US.
     
    yuxtapuesta said:
    I have absolutely never once in my life heard or seen or read or witnessess in behalf of. That sounds completely bizarre and incorrent to me.

    Frankly, "in behalf of" sounds so odd and outdated that even if it used to be correct I would never say it now. Just my opinion. :)
    Click to expand...
    Thank you very much for your opinion, yuxtapuesta.:)

    It just surprises me that you native English speakers don't use or even have never heard of "in behalf of". It also says that we non-natives are hard to know such things.-->Which means I spent some time to memorize the difference between "in behalf of " and "on behalf of". After reading and thinking about your input, I felt myself kind of silly...:cool:
     
    Parousia said:
    For the examples given of the use of 'in behalf of', I think most English speakers would use 'in aid of', eg. "We're collecting money in aid of charity".
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    We don't use that expression in Canada either ... I would just say "We're collecting money for charity".
     
    Speaking in behalf of the OED staff, I can't find any reference to Mr.Blue's suggestion that in behalf of is especially used in the US?
    The examples given for this definition include Shakespeare, Fielding and Macauley - hardly stalwarts of US literary history:)

    I did spot that the OED mentions with regret the loss, in recent times, of the distinction between on behalf of and in behalf of. It lists several examples - from 1791, 1851, 1852 and 1862. Recent times, indeed:D
     
    Thank you all for your input.:)

    panjandrum said:
    I did spot that the OED mentions with regret the loss, in recent times, of the distinction between on behalf of and in behalf of. It lists several examples - from 1791, 1851, 1852 and 1862. Recent times, indeed:D
    Click to expand...
    :D .........
     
    panjandrum said:
    Speaking in behalf of the OED staff, I can't find any reference to Mr.Blue's suggestion that in behalf of is especially used in the US?
    The examples given for this definition include Shakespeare, Fielding and Macauley - hardly stalwarts of US literary history:)
    Click to expand...

    It's mentioned under the word " behalf " in my OED " Ninth Edition - 1995 " , and as cuchuflete said it might be just one of their mistakes. :)
     
    Just to add some new element to this discussion:
    I am reading Philip Roth's 'The Plot against America' and I encountered this sentence:
    "he might consider returning the gold cross [...] bestowed on him in behalf of the Führer"

    I thought I would find an explanation in WRF, and as there seems to be some controversy, I checked in the Merriam-Webster Online, and they give both 'on behalf of' and 'in behalf of' for 'as a representative of'. But what is interesting is that they account for all the different theories that have been discussed in this thread.
     
    Hi Guys

    My boss got angry with me the last time I used the term In behalf..

    Is it really wrong? because for what I know it is acceptable in American language?

    Is there an expert which can help me?????

    Thanks:)
     
    alois023 said:
    Hi Guys

    My boss got angry with me the last time I used the term In behalf..

    Is it really wrong? because for what I know it is acceptable in American language?

    Is there an expert which can help me?????

    Thanks:)
    Click to expand...

    Greeting Alois, and welcome to the forum.

    Please give us examples of the sorts of sentences in which you used the "in behalf". It will help us give you a better answer. In addition, forum rules require context.

    (I am sorry your boss got angry with you. That is no fun.)
     
    alois023 said:
    Hi Guys

    My boss got angry with me the last time I used the term In behalf..

    Is it really wrong? because for what I know it is acceptable in American language?

    Is there an expert which can help me?????

    Thanks:)
    Click to expand...
    As you will have seen earlier in this thread, on behalf of and in behalf of have (or should I say, had) different meanings.
    If you give us an example of a sentence in which you used in behalf of, we can comment.

    It is also clear from the comments above that the distinction between in and of is fading from common knowledge; on behalf of is becoming the normal usage in both contexts.
     
    panjandrum said:
    [...] on behalf of is becoming the normal usage in both contexts.
    Click to expand...
    Really? I, for one, would never say "We raised money on behalf of the poor" if I meant "We raised money for (the benefit of) the poor."

    Like most people, I never use "in behalf of," but I wouldn't say that I use "on behalf of" to express that meaning.

    Usage may be different in the UK, I guess.
     
    elroy said:
    Really? I, for one, would never say "We raised money on behalf of the poor" if I meant "We raised money for (the benefit of) the poor."

    Like most people, I never use "in behalf of," but I wouldn't say that I use "on behalf of" to express that meaning.

    Usage may be different in the UK, I guess.
    Click to expand...
    My comment reflects what was said above and in the OED.
    It is not that "on behalf of" is routinely used where you would say "for the benefit of" but that use of "in behalf of" is fading.
    Those who use "behalf" in a phrase meaning "for the benefit of" are much more likely to say "on behalf of" than "in behalf of".
     
    Consider the following context:

    John was not able to attend the meeting so Jane attended instead, to represent ABC Company.
    Jane will address the meeting on John's behalf.

    I have always used the phrase "on behalf" of someone.
    However, I often see, especially in older works, the phrase "in behalf" of someone.
    Was this the norm in older English and, if so, when did it change?
     
    Hi DB2011

    "In behalf of" does not work for me, but that's probably not surprising:): there's a previous thread on this:
    in behalf/on behalf
    [...]
     
    Last edited by a moderator:
    Welcome to the forums, DB. :)

    There used to be a fairly regularly observed distinction between the two. "In behalf of" meant "for the benefit or advantage of," where "on behalf of" meant "as the agent, representative, or spokesman for." Examples of the former are sparse today.
     
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