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hand down meaning and examples

2025-09-12

Meaning

  • Hand down has two main meanings:

    1. To officially give or announce something, especially a judgment or decision.
    2. To give something to someone of a younger generation, usually as an inheritance or tradition.

Grammar and Usage

  • Verb type: Phrasal verb (transitive).

  • Common patterns:

    • hand down a judgment/decision (formal, legal use).
    • hand down clothes/traditions/possessions (passing from older to younger).

Examples:

  • The judge handed down a severe sentence.
  • My grandmother handed down her wedding dress to my mother.

Common Phrases

  • hand down a verdict
  • hand down a tradition
  • hand down clothes
  • hand down knowledge

Collocations

  • Noun + hand down: judge hands down, court hands down
  • Hand down + noun: decision, judgment, sentence, clothes, tradition, heirloom

Examples

  1. The court handed down a guilty verdict.
  2. These stories were handed down from generation to generation.
  3. My brother’s old bike was handed down to me.
  4. The king handed down orders to his council.
  5. The recipe has been handed down through the family for centuries.
  6. The judge handed down a fine of $5,000.
  7. Many cultural customs are handed down orally.
  8. His father handed down the farm to him after retirement.
  • Pass on
  • Bequeath
  • Transmit
  • Leave (to someone)
  • Deliver

Antonym

  • Withhold
  • Keep back
  • Retain