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Webster 1913 Edition
Behoove
Be-hoove′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Behooved
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Behooving
.] To be necessary for; to be fit for; to be meet for, with respect to necessity, duty, or convenience; – mostly used impersonally.
And thus it
behooved
Christ to suffer. Luke xxiv. 46.
[Also written
behove
.] Be-hoove′
,Verb.
I.
To be necessary, fit, or suitable; to befit; to belong as due.
Chaucer.
Be-hoove′
,Noun.
Advantage; behoof.
[Obs.]
It shall not be to his
behoove
. Gower.
Webster 1828 Edition
Behoove
BEHOOVE
,Verb.
T.
And thus it behooved Christ to suffer. Luke 24.
It may perhaps be used intransitively; as, let him behave as it behooveth; but I believe such use is rare.
Definition 2024
behoove
behoove
English
Alternative forms
- behove (UK)
Verb
behoove (third-person singular simple present behooves, present participle behooving, simple past and past participle behooved)
- (US) To suit; to befit
- 2002, Senator Douglas Roche, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Parliament of Canada:
- I think it ill behooves the Government of Canada[...] to pretend that there are not these distinctions in how each of us approaches questions of security.
- 2002, Senator Douglas Roche, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Parliament of Canada:
- (US) To be necessary
- (US) To be in one's best interest; to benefit
- 1803, Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Benjamin Rush:
- It behooves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others.
- 2007, Gary D. Schmidt, The Wednesday Wars, page 208
- "It behooves us to be prepared. We will begin a series of atomic bomb drills ..." / "Becomes necessary, Mr. Hupfer," said Mrs. Baker, "as in 'It behooves us to raise our hands before we ask a question."
- 1803, Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Benjamin Rush:
Related terms
Translations
to suit; to befit