handling

noun

han·​dling ˈhan-dᵊl-iŋ 

ˈhan(d)-liŋ

1

a

: the action of one that handles something

b

: a process by which something is handled in a commercial transaction

especially : the packaging and shipping of an object or material (as to a consumer)

2

: the manner in which something is treated (as in a musical, literary, or art work)

Synonyms of handling

• management
• operation
• control
• administration
• supervision
• stewardship
• oversight
• direction
• government

Examples of handling in a Sentence

These items require careful handling.

There are additional charges for shipping and handling.

The car's handling was smooth.

Recent Examples on the Web

On Thursday, a grand jury issued indictments for Sheriff Sanchez and former Deputy Keith Schultz on charges of abuse of a corpse for their handling of the discovery of those remains and five counts each of official misconduct. —Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026

The candidates covered a wide range of topics over two hours, including calls for modernizing firefighting technologies and more transparency for the Department of Insurance in rate adjustment cases and claims handling. —Pat Maio, Daily News, 28 Mar. 2026

Engineers must ensure that the bag volume and heat exchanger capacity scale up accordingly, all while maintaining sterility and easy bedside handling. —Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026

Trump has repeatedly praised Rubio’s handling of Venezuela after capturing former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. —Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing handling

• shipping and handling
• special handling

Rhymes for handling

• candling
• mishandling