hand·out
ˈhand-ˌau̇t 
1
: a portion of food, clothing, or money given to or as if to a beggar
2
: a folder or circular of information for free distribution
3
: a prepared statement released to the news media
handed out; handing out; hands out
1
a
: to give without charge
b
: to give freely
2
: administer
handed out a severe punishment
Synonyms
Examples of handout in a Sentence
Noun
He sat on the sidewalk asking for a handout.
The family wasn't interested in government handouts.
The handouts had all the major points of his speech outlined on them.
Verb
no system yet in place for handing out room assignments
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Starting Thursday morning, restrictions or rationing measures will be put in place for Bogotá residents and dozens of towns and municipalities surrounding the capital, according to a handout on the city’s official website.
—Heather Law, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Not only would the lot compete with the city’s own airport parking operations, but $5.5 million of that property tax handout would go to build two roundabouts on the airport’s main access road.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
For him this isn’t much of an investment; 36 million of his 114.7 million shares are a handout that didn’t require him to put up his own money.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
In this handout photo provided by the White House, US President Joe Biden meets with members of the National Security team regarding the unfolding missile attacks on Israel from Iran, on April 13, 2024 in the White House Situation Room in Washington, DC.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2024
The money is not a handout, though, and California isn’t the first state to offer down payment assistance.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
Logistically, this year’s festival is well organized and easy to navigate with both online guides and handout maps and daily schedules at info booths.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
About 20 percent of the country’s middle class has slumped below the poverty line, while 80 percent of Iranians rely on some form of government handout.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024
Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2024
In all, 15 trophies were handed out on Friday night at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto during a ceremony with no media invited due to limited capacity, Hot Docs organizers said.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 May 2024
Former President Donald Trump presented the award to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan and conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.
Biden — who was given the award himself by former President Barack Obama — last handed out medals in July 2022 to a group that featured civil rights and labor leaders.
—Deepa Shivaram, NPR, 3 May 2024
People were handing out respirators, masks and buckets to fill with water if needed to flush tear gas from eyes.
—Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Today the park doesn’t hand out real silver dollars, but the historic name remains.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2024
At the time the contracts were handed out, Boeing was a much stronger contender in the aerospace industry.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 May 2024
The report comes in the wake of a blown July 2023 deadline to submit an application to the Board of State and Community Corrections, which sought to hand out millions of dollars to 34 police departments, seven sheriff’s offices and 13 district attorney’s offices for theft prevention.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff Sam Schultz (at right) hands out water and oranges from the back of his truck to migrants who have crossed into the U.S. from Mexico, in Jacumba Hot Springs, California, April 1, 2024.
—Francine Kiefer, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Apr. 2024
Noun
The result was the largest taxpayer handout in U.S. sports history, narrowly edging out the $750-million subsidy Nevada posted to bring the NFL Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas in 2022.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Starting Thursday morning, restrictions or rationing measures will be put in place for Bogotá residents and dozens of towns and municipalities surrounding the capital, according to a handout on the city’s official website.
—Heather Law, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Not only would the lot compete with the city’s own airport parking operations, but $5.5 million of that property tax handout would go to build two roundabouts on the airport’s main access road.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
For him this isn’t much of an investment; 36 million of his 114.7 million shares are a handout that didn’t require him to put up his own money.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
In this handout photo provided by the White House, US President Joe Biden meets with members of the National Security team regarding the unfolding missile attacks on Israel from Iran, on April 13, 2024 in the White House Situation Room in Washington, DC.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2024
The money is not a handout, though, and California isn’t the first state to offer down payment assistance.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
Logistically, this year’s festival is well organized and easy to navigate with both online guides and handout maps and daily schedules at info booths.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
About 20 percent of the country’s middle class has slumped below the poverty line, while 80 percent of Iranians rely on some form of government handout.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024
Verb
People who receive swag have to deal with one more thing in their homes, and business leaders who hand out swag might have to deal with extra inventory at the office or home until the next occasion to give it away arises.
—Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2024
In all, 15 trophies were handed out on Friday night at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto during a ceremony with no media invited due to limited capacity, Hot Docs organizers said.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 May 2024
Former President Donald Trump presented the award to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan and conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.
Biden — who was given the award himself by former President Barack Obama — last handed out medals in July 2022 to a group that featured civil rights and labor leaders.
—Deepa Shivaram, NPR, 3 May 2024
People were handing out respirators, masks and buckets to fill with water if needed to flush tear gas from eyes.
—Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Today the park doesn’t hand out real silver dollars, but the historic name remains.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2024
At the time the contracts were handed out, Boeing was a much stronger contender in the aerospace industry.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 May 2024
The report comes in the wake of a blown July 2023 deadline to submit an application to the Board of State and Community Corrections, which sought to hand out millions of dollars to 34 police departments, seven sheriff’s offices and 13 district attorney’s offices for theft prevention.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff Sam Schultz (at right) hands out water and oranges from the back of his truck to migrants who have crossed into the U.S. from Mexico, in Jacumba Hot Springs, California, April 1, 2024.
—Francine Kiefer, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'handout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near handout
Cite this Entry
“Handout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handout. Accessed 7 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
handout
noun
hand·out
ˈhan-ˌdau̇t
1
: food, clothing, or money given to a beggar
2
: an information sheet for free distribution
3
: a prepared statement released to the press
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share