Behoof

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bɪˈhuːf/

Definitions

1. A gain or advantage that results from a particular action is often sought by individuals or groups involved in specific situations
2. An advantage or benefit pursued by individuals or groups in various situations is known as a desirable outcome from particular actions
3. A benefit or advantage gained through an action or circumstance

Etymology: "Behoof" is a word that has nearly vanished from everyday speech, yet it has a surprisingly physical ancestry. Its Old English form, "behōf," meant something like "need" or "what is needed," and it grew from a root shared with the verb "behave" in its older sense of "to be useful." Over the centuries the word drifted from the idea of necessity toward the idea of benefit: what is needed for someone's good becomes the good itself, which is why "for the behoof of" now means "for the benefit of." The word's neighbours in other languages show the same shift. Dutch "behoef" and German "Behuf" still carry the sense of need or requirement, and Danish "behov" means a requirement outright. English kept the same root but bent its meaning toward advantage, so a word that once described an obligation now describes the gain that comes from meeting one.

Synonyms: benefit, advantage