handbag
Americannoun
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handbags
plural
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a bag or box of leather, fabric, plastic, or the like, held in the hand or carried by means of a handle or strap, commonly used for holding money, personal grooming items, small purchases, etc.
noun
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Also called: bag. purse. pocketbook. a woman's small bag carried to contain personal articles
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a small suitcase that can be carried by hand
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a commercial style of House music
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of handbag
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:
The handbag market is crowded with some very big names and aspirational products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Han Hak-ja, 83, was accused of providing luxury items, including a designer handbag, to former first lady Kim Keon Hee while her husband, Yoon Suk Yeol, was president, in an attempt to secure policy favours.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Over thousands of years, humans have also developed hundreds of distinct types, ranging from tiny chihuahuas small enough to carry in a handbag to Great Danes that can reach a person's waist.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
Renowned for her signature wardrobe of high-shoulder suits, pussy-bow blouses, and her iconic handbag, Thatcher cultivated an image that sought to project a sense of authority and purpose.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Then she reaches into the small handbag that she carries cross-body.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
From high-end clothing, shoes and handbags, Lady Beckham has diversifed.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
The marketer’s takeaway: It could be tempting to use higher-margin handbags to elevate Gap’s prestige, but the retailer has instead found ways to amplify its core brand signatures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
People already use jewelry, handbags and clothing to express themselves.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
To demonstrate, Weger starts layering a mannequin in her bedroom, picking from racks of clothes, handbags, color-coordinated shoes and jewelry nearby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
I didn’t even see anyone carrying one of her signature handbags or wearing a Queen of Neat T-shirt like the one I had folded up tight and tidy in my suitcase.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
