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

Hamilton did not gain a lasting advantage, but Leclerc did, staying in clean air up front and building enough of a lead that the paltry five-second penalty that was eventually handed down kept him ahead of Hamilton after their stops. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026

That decision, handed down just before noon Friday, all but ensures the issue will reach the Supreme Court and be decided there before polls close Tuesday. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026

The decision matches the same vote that was handed down in a Monday denial by the same panel. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026

Outcomes are handed down, and impact is created at the front lines. — Nimesh Mehta, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 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)