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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s longer than any other sentence handed down since at least 2004 for a car crash fatality in Alabama’s 19th Circuit Court, which includes Autauga, Chilton and Elmore counties. Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 9 Oct. 2025 Technivorm makes, hand down, some of the sexiest coffee makers out there. Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025 Fidell questioned how the replacement JAGs could reasonably do their job, when they are exposed to the political rhetoric handed down from Hegseth and the White House. Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 This was Daniels’ finest throw of the game, hands down. Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hand down

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hand down was in 1651

Cite this Entry

“Hand down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand%20down. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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)

More from Merriam-Webster on hand down

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