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

It was handed down through generations, eventually winding up with Isidor’s great-grandson, Kenneth Hollister Straus, who decided to restore it. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 Nov. 2025

Every Saturday during the season, the NFL hands down punishments to players who broke the rules in a big way the week prior. —Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Nov. 2025

Jefferson Circuit Judge Brian Edwards handed down a sentence Nov. 17 in a domestic violence case that has led to two civil lawsuits against Louisville Metro Police and MetroSafe. —Stephanie Kuzydym, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Nov. 2025

Circuit Judge Laura Crivello handed down the life sentence for Moses Martinez on Nov. 14. —Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 17 Nov. 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)