handheld
adjective
hand·held
ˈhan(d)-ˌheld 
-ˈheld
: held in the hand
especially
: designed to be operated while being held in the hand
handheld computers
Examples of handheld in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or using a handheld electric mixer, add melted white chocolate and mascarpone.
—
Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
Later, O’Brien touted a fake company tasked with reformatting movies for smaller and smaller handheld devices, but the joke missed the mark.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Interrogation footage of their imprisonment is played from a compact disc on their laptop and refilmed by a handheld camera; the closeup camera lingers on their bodies – retelling the skin as a map with its own markings.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Some were under the influence of cannabis or alcohol up to the legal limit; others were making calls on handheld devices; still others were swiping to change the music and navigation on Apple- or Android-enabled touch screens.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handheld
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Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
Later, O’Brien touted a fake company tasked with reformatting movies for smaller and smaller handheld devices, but the joke missed the mark.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Interrogation footage of their imprisonment is played from a compact disc on their laptop and refilmed by a handheld camera; the closeup camera lingers on their bodies – retelling the skin as a map with its own markings.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Some were under the influence of cannabis or alcohol up to the legal limit; others were making calls on handheld devices; still others were swiping to change the music and navigation on Apple- or Android-enabled touch screens.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handheld
Cite this Entry
“Handheld.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handheld. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
handheld
adjective
hand·held
-ˌheld
: held in the hand
especially
: designed to be used while being held in the hand
a handheld computer
handheld
noun
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