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.
Recipes handed down through generations are the ones that help make events like Christmas special. Jeanne Lyons Davis, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2024 Social media ban The Australian government has proposed a ban on children under 16 from using social media and will hand down huge fines to companies who don’t comply. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024 Heavy prison sentences handed down Tuesday to 45 pro-democracy activists suggest instead a Chinese bid to crush a generation of dissenters. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Nov. 2024 Avocado The Black Friday sale season is hands down the best time to buy a mattress. Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 18 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near hand down

Cite this Entry

“Hand down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand%20down. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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

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