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

That motion was briefly delayed by a federal judge on April 18, before Wednesday's decision was handed down. —Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025

Over time, Hawaii’s diverse communities have evolved homespun amalgams of favorite dishes handed down from generation to generation, creating a foodie nirvana. —Ben Davidson, Mercury News, 1 May 2025

Outside the courthouse, state police union leaders expressed their disappointment with the prison sentence handed down. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2025

As for the House settlement, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken’s approval decision is expected to be handed down as soon as this week. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Apr. 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)