handout

American  

[hand-aut] / ˈhændˌaʊt /

noun

• handouts
  plural

1. a portion of food or the like given to a needy person, as a beggar.

2. press release.

3. any printed, typed, mimeographed, or photocopied copy of information, as a speech, policy statement, or fact sheet given to reporters, attendees at a meeting, or the like.

4. anything given away for nothing, as a free sample of a product by an advertiser.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• handouts
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of handout

First recorded in 1880–85 handout for def. 1 and in 1905–10 handout for def. 2; noun use of verb phrase hand out

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Explanation

A handout is something that's given to a person in need. A useful handout for someone who doesn't have a home might be food, money, or clothing. Handouts are anything that a person, government, charity, or other organization freely donates to needy people. While the word originated in the 1880s and gained popularity during the Great Depression among so-called "hobos," people who had to live entirely on the charity of others, handout has taken on a negative connotation in modern times. It's more often used to criticize the government or tax rates than to mean "a generous, thoughtful donation."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

handout handouts

Wile E. Coyote isn’t asking for a handout.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

After a "low-rate initial production" at Everett, the "North Line will help enable the 737 MAX program to reach 52 airplanes a month," according to a Boeing handout.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, a Covid-era handout pitched as a way to support theaters and music halls, reported $10 billion in improper payments, nearly 70% of all spending in the program.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

"It's not a handout, we know we have to pay it back," Osborne said.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026

Before I left the register I picked up a handout printed in tiny type that was called “A Full Serving of Nutrition Facts: Choose the Best Meal for You.”

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Families currently receiving the WFP food handouts complained to the BBC that already these were insufficient and gave them little diversity in their diets.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

The toilets are in a "pitiful" state, some without locks; internet access is patchy in classrooms, and a lack of printer ink sometimes leaves handouts unreadable, he added, his friends nodding along.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

People have fears of losing their jobs to AI, are worried about facing higher utility bills due to energy-hungry data centers, and feel frustrated about taxpayer-funded handouts for those facilities, he said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

While food markets have reopened, many cannot afford the goods on offer, there is still extreme poverty and hunger with reliance on charitable handouts.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

We’ve pored over the images in our textbooks and in handouts.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

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