handout

American  

[hand-out] / ˈhændˌaʊt /

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.

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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

Example Sentences

Ahead of the February 8 general election, all three major parties offered various populist handouts and socioeconomic policies to boost the economy.

From Barron's

They were queuing to register at a centre for the displaced, offered a small handout of cash, food and toiletries by volunteers.

From BBC

A mix of government pensions, food handouts and subsidized housing provides an ever-more tattered safety net.

From Los Angeles Times

I don’t want to polish it off too quickly or I’ll look like I’m begging for handouts.

From Literature

That plan offered energy subsidies, cash handouts to households ostensibly to counter inflation, and industrial-policy subsidies in areas such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal