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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Many are from the Caribbean and cook recipes handed down for generations. AFAR Media, 27 Sep. 2025 The comedian’s comments were met with swift backlash on the right, including from Trump’s chair of the Federal Communications Commission, who called for the host to be punished over the remarks prior to the suspension being handed down. Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025 The episode aired in November 1972, two months before the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in Roe v. Wade. Time, 17 Sep. 2025 Under it, a Led Zeppelin T-shirt handed down from my teen-age son, who outgrew it. Rachel Kushner, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hand down

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hand down was in 1651

Cite this Entry

“Hand down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand%20down. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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)

More from Merriam-Webster on hand down

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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