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

Here’s how the sentences were handed down Johnson-Carson, 24, and Williamson, 53, both hotel bellhops, each agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor battery in exchange for their testimony against any defendants who decided to go to trial. —Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Pardo first advocated sending the question to voters back in August after three judges with the Third DCA handed down an initial order upholding a lower court’s ruling finding the city’s decision to postpone the election via ordinance was unconstitutional. —Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025

After the panel handed down its ruling, Trump lambasted the judges throughout Labor Day weekend and again during an unrelated Oval Office announcement on Tuesday. —Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025

Many market participants expect that the ultimate judgment on the legality of Trump’s tariff policies will be handed down by the nation’s highest court. —CNBC, 1 Sep. 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)