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hand down
verb
handed down; handing down; hands down
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
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Word History
First Known Use
1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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 26 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
hand down
verb1
: 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 verb1
: 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)
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hand down
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