Definition

Verb (transitive) 1. To pass something to someone younger or of a later generation, especially as an inheritance or tradition. - This is the primary meaning, focusing on the transfer of physical objects, knowledge, customs, or responsibilities from one generation to the next. 2. To formally announce or deliver a decision, ruling, or judgment from a position of authority. - This meaning is primarily used in legal and official contexts, where a court or authority issues a final decision.

Usage and Examples

• The family handed down the antique clock from father to eldest son for over a century.
• These recipes were handed down to me by my grandmother.
• The court is expected to hand down its verdict tomorrow.
• The committee handed down a series of new regulations.

Advanced Usage

• "to be handed down": Often used in the passive voice to describe something received from the past.
  • The tradition of gathering for this festival has been handed down for generations.
• In legal contexts, the object is typically a ruling, sentence, judgment, or decision.
  • The judge handed down a severe sentence to the convicted criminal.

Variants and Related Words

• Hand-me-down (noun/adjective): An item, especially clothing, passed on from an older sibling or person.
  • As the youngest, I always wore my brother's hand-me-downs.

Synonyms

• Bequeath: To leave property or knowledge to someone after one's death (formal, often legal).
• Pass on: A more general term for transferring something to another person.
• Transmit: To pass or spread something, like knowledge or a disease.
• Issue: To formally send out or make known (used for rulings, statements).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Hand on: Very similar to "hand down" in the sense of passing something to the next person in a sequence.
  • Please hand on this document to the next department when you're finished.
• Hand over: To give something to someone, often implying a transfer of control or responsibility.
  • The guard was ordered to hand over the keys.

Related Idioms

• A handed-down tradition: A custom or practice that has been passed through generations.
  • Making this special cake is a handed-down tradition in our family.

Verb

1. passed on, as by inheritance
   • This ring was handed down through many generations