hand down

verb

1. to leave to a later period or generation; bequeath

2. to pass (an outgrown garment) on from one member of a family to a younger one

3. law to announce or deliver (a verdict)

Idioms and Phrases

Bequeath to one's heirs, as in The silver and jewels have been handed down from generation to generation in that family . [Late 1600s]

Make and pronounce an official decision, especially the verdict of a court. For example, The judge wasted no time in handing down a sentence of contempt of court . [First half of 1900s] Also see hand on ; hand over .

Example Sentences

He was found guilty of "conspiracy to commit rebellion" by the Supreme Court, which handed down the sentence at the same time as convicting him.

Read more on BBC

My mom has slowly been perfecting her mac and cheese recipes over the years, and I may be biased, but I think it’s hands down the best mac and cheese in the world.

Read more on Salon

Flanked by security guards and a translator, 45-year-old Lee showed little reaction as the sentence was handed down.

Read more on Barron's

He played a pass-first style handed down from basketball’s earliest days, a tradition that runs from Bob Cousy and Magic Johnson to John Stockton and Jason Kidd.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They emphasize that concepts of Scandinavian paganism have been handed down for centuries and repeatedly reshaped by different authors and cultural movements.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• pass on