handout

[hand-out]

noun

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of handout¹

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

Example Sentences

“It’s been three years, and my daughter still has all of those handouts, some on the fridge, some in her bedroom.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Many are out of work, dependent on modest handouts from the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority and various NGOs.

Read more on BBC

Over the years, handouts have taken different forms in the hotly contested political landscape of the world's largest democracy.

Read more on BBC

Scenes of federal employees waiting for food handouts in the Washington suburbs showcased the hardships some faced while on furlough, their incomes slashed to zero.

Read more on Barron's

There are better ways than government handouts for politicians to put more money back into people’s wallets.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal