What does behoof mean?
Behoof is a noun meaning benefit, advantage, or profit. It belongs to a formal, somewhat archaic register of English and rarely stands alone: it is used almost exclusively in prepositional phrases such as "for the behoof of" or "to the behoof of," which mean simply "for the benefit of." A will might direct that an estate be held "for the behoof of the testator's heirs," and older legal and literary texts frequently employ the term in this way. The word shares its origin with the more familiar verb behoove (British spelling behove), meaning to be necessary, proper, or advantageous; both descend from Middle English forms built on a Germanic root connected to the idea of what is needful or useful. Although modern writers seldom coin new uses of behoof, it remains valuable to recognize, since it surfaces in historical documents, legal language, and formal prose. Its survival largely within set phrases makes it a good example of how English preserves archaic vocabulary inside fixed expressions long after everyday usage has moved on.
nounBenefit or advantage; use or profit, especially in the phrases 'for someone's behoof' or 'to the behoof of'.
- Benefit, advantage, or profit; use — chiefly in formal or legalistic phrases such as 'for the behoof of'.
"The trust was established for the behoof of local schoolchildren."
"She donated the land expressly for the behoof of the village."
"The clause directed all proceeds to the behoof of the charity."
Rarely pluralized; the word normally appears in the singular within fixed prepositional phrases.
"The trustees acted for the behoofs of several beneficiaries under the will."
Behoof looks like 'be-hoof' but has nothing to do with horses' feet — it's a centuries-old word for benefit that survives almost entirely inside the phrase 'for someone's behoof'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of behoof
Behoof comes from Middle English bihōf, meaning advantage or use, of Germanic origin and reinforced by Scandinavian cognates (compare Danish behov, "need"). It is formed from the prefix be- plus a root related to Old Norse hōf, "fitting" or "needful." The same root produced the verb behoove (behove in British English), so behoof and behoove are historically paired as noun and verb expressing benefit and what is beneficial.
Related word forms
How behoof is actually used
Archaic and formal; today found mostly in legal documents and literary prose. Almost always appears prepositionally ('for/to the behoof of') rather than as a standalone noun.
Easily confused with behoof
Behoove is a verb meaning 'to be necessary or fitting for', while behoof is a noun meaning 'benefit or advantage'.