hand down

verb

handed down; handing down; hands down

transitive verb

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

Everything from carving a boomerang to treating a cold with traditional medicine is handed down from one generation to the next through stories. —Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025

The Milwaukee man showed little emotion as Circuit Judge David Swanson handed down his sentence on Aug. 15. —Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025

And by the inequity in which the death penalty is handed down. —Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025

Over the years, the shop has been handed down to the family’s third generation owners, survived Hurricane Katrina, and persevered through several relocations. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hand down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

hand down

verb

1

: 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 verb

1

: 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)