Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for "handling"
  • present participle of handle.
Search instead for han-lin.
Synonyms

handling

American  
[hand-ling] / ˈhænd lɪŋ /

noun

  1. a touching, grasping, or using with the hands.

  2. the manner of treating or dealing with something; management; treatment.

  3. the manual or mechanical method or process by which something is moved, carried, transported, etc.


adjective

  1. of or relating to the process of moving, transporting, delivering, working with, etc..

    The factory added a 10 percent handling charge for delivery.

handling British  
/ ˈhændlɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act or an instance of picking up, turning over, or touching something

  2. treatment, as of a theme in literature

    1. the process by which a commodity is packaged, transported, etc

    2. ( as modifier )

      handling charges

  3. law the act of receiving property that one knows or believes to be stolen

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of handling

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English handlung (noun); equivalent to handle + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, said Clayton's experience fighting financial crime and handling national security cases made him a proven leader at a time of heightened threats.

From Barron's Jul. 28, 2026

And like most incoming prime ministers, he has precious little experience of handling international events.

From BBC Jul. 27, 2026

Some current and former government officials have criticized the handling of the outbreak, both by the administration and Taylor Farms.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 25, 2026

The contrast between her district and the city overall offered Raman an angle to present herself as more effectively handling the homelessness crisis than Bass.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 25, 2026

As soon as he’s gone again, Mom’s mood will crash and David, me, and Justin will be handling everything she can’t.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training