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

How Companion Plants Work The idea of companion planting is not new and many practices have been handed down from previous generations. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2026

Judge Barrett, who handed down the original sentence, will likely be the one to do it. —Chierstin Roth, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026

The charges were handed down a short time after Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Greene would be charged in the death of little Kaori Patterson-Moore. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026

Judge Lewis Liman handed down his 152-page opinion and order on Thursday, April 2. —Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026

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)