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

Jewelry is, hands down, one of our favorite gifts for women. —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 13 Nov. 2025

Typically, rulings are handed down by the end of the term, which would be June 2026. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2025

On Wednesday, Judge Jenny Walker Jasper handed down Uso’s mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole. —Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 12 Nov. 2025

Cook County Judge Terry Gallagher handed down concurrent sentences Monday, with an effective six-year term. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 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)