behove

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   formal: to be necessary, proper, or advantageous for someone

   It behoves every witness to describe only what they actually saw.

2. 2
   verb

   archaic: to be fitting for or appropriate to a person or position

   Such restraint behoves a judge entrusted with great authority.

From Middle English behoven and Old English behofian, meaning to need or be necessary, from a Germanic family also represented by Dutch behoeven. It is related to behoof, meaning benefit or advantage. Behoove is the usual American spelling variant.

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