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hand down
verb
handed down; handing down; hands down
1
: to transmit in succession (as from father to son)
2
: to make official formulation of and express (the opinion of a court)
Examples of hand down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The court’s seven justices have 90 days to hand down a decision.
—Calmatters, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024
This is a torture device that has been handed down from generation to generation.
—Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2024
Crappie are hands down one of my favorite species to target.
—Nicole Stone, Outdoor Life, 15 May 2024
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, after blaming Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, for the events that day at The Capitol, has criticized the Justice Department for handing down federal indictments against Trump — even when one of the indictments was for inciting the events of Jan. 6.
—Kenneth S. Birnbaum, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for hand down
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hand down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near hand down
Cite this Entry
“Hand down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand%20down. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
hand down
verb1
: to pass down from older to younger (as from parent to child)
2
: to form and express a judicial decision
Legal Definition
hand down
transitive verb1
: to deliver (the decision or opinion of an appellate court) to the proper office of an inferior court
2
: to make an official formulation of and announce (the decision of a court)
More from Merriam-Webster on hand down
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hand down
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