Behove

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bɪˈhəʊv/
• Rhymes: -əʊv

Alternative forms

• behoove

Origin

From Old English behof (see more at behoof). Cognate with Swedish behöva.

Full definition of behove

Verb

1. To suit; to befit.
• 1803, Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Benjamin Rush April 21.It behoves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others; or their case may, by change of circumstances, become his own.
• 1936, , More Poems, II., lines 11-12:No fire-faced prophet brought me wordWhich way behoved me go.
• 2001 January 16, , in the House of Commons Hansard Debates for 16 Jan 2001 (pt 23),It behoves the Government to take note of that.
• 2003 November 3, , “Resistance is the first step towards Iraqi independence”, ,Nor does it behove western commentators whose countries are occupying Iraq to lay down conditions for those opposing it.#*: True, it ill behoves national newspaper columnists and MPs, let alone Prime Ministers, to start pontificating about how men – and hitherto a too tiny handful of women – shouldn't be paid £30,000 a year to risk their lives by going into burning buildings when everybody else is leaving them. http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_m_z/donald_macintyre/article132811.ece