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

The lawyer, Mostafa Nili, confirmed the sentence on X, saying it had been handed down Saturday by a Revolutionary Court in the city of Mashhad. —CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026

The lawyer, Mostafa Nili, confirmed the sentence on X, saying it had been handed down Saturday by a Revolutionary Court in the city of Mashhad. —Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026

The judge handed down 40 years in prison for corpse abuse. —Maria Braganini, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026

The center holds more than 450 quilts and bedspreads, collected over half a century by Jen Jones, the founder of the center, which tells the story of a unique textile heritage handed down from generation to generation by families and communities. —Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 5 Feb. 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)