Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Necessary; advantageous.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • obsolete Useful, or usefully.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Necessary; advantageous.
  • adjective Useful.
  • adverb Usefully.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English *behoofly, equivalent to behoof +‎ -ly.

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Examples

  • But the quote is "Sinne is behovely, but alle shalle be wele, and alle shalle be wele, and all maner of thinge shalle be wel."

    Decisions and revisions Kat Howard 2009

  • But the quote is "Sinne is behovely, but alle shalle be wele, and alle shalle be wele, and all maner of thinge shalle be wel."

    Archive 2009-03-01 Kat Howard 2009

Comments

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  • 'fits' or 'just so': from the indo-european root kap- to grasp; behoove is the lengthened grade variant form, - and the old english form behōf has the meaning of use, profit, need, and advantage

    August 14, 2011