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

Before Engelmayer handed down his sentence, Hernandez asked for leniency, pointing to how he has been stuck in solitary confinement since his arrest. —Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024

Most legal observers expect Trump to avoid jail time, given his status as a first-time offender and sentences handed down for the same crime in other cases. —Patrick Maguire, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024

Here, those assuming power can be quickly humbled, either through robust checks and balances on their power or via the stunning verdicts often handed down in the court of public opinion. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

The Republican National Committee (RNC) filed an emergency appeal to ensure that election officials do not leverage a lower court’s ruling handed down Wednesday finding such disqualification violates the state constitution. —Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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)