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

On Tuesday, the story of Montverde Academy track continued, with the AIU handing down a major allegation against Phiri, the head coach of one of the leading high school track programs in the country. —Cory Mull, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

Geer reported that 12 to 15 residents live on the reservation and the homes that are occupied have been handed down from family to family. —Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2025

The ruling, handed down by Judge Amir H. Ali of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, was the latest step in a winding dispute over foreign aid payments since Mr. Trump has tried to vastly shrink the nation’s foreign assistance. —Zach Montague, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2025

The Supreme Court handed down a ruling on a Jan. 6 case in June 2024 that favored Martin’s view that the obstruction law should be interpreted more narrowly. —Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Mar. 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)