hands-on

American  

[handz-on, -awn] / ˈhændzˈɒn, -ˈɔn /

adjective

1. characterized by or involved in active personal participation in an activity; individual and direct.

   a workshop to give children hands-on experience with computers.

2. requiring manual operation, control, adjustment, or the like; not automatic or computerized.

   the old hands-on telephone switchboards.

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hands-on British  

adjective

1. involving practical experience of equipment, etc

   hands-on training in the use of computers

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Etymology

Origin of hands-on

First recorded in 1905–10; by analogy with hands-off

Example Sentences

When that shift happens, Pinnaka says his own human engineers will still have jobs, but they’ll no longer be hands-on with code.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jane also says parents can teach their children digital literacy in a hands-on way.

From BBC

Help with eating, grooming and other daily activities requires hands-on care — and that’s expensive.

From MarketWatch

It’s the first international version of the 51-year-old show to be launched with hands-on guidance from “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels.

From The Wall Street Journal

Many find openings in hands-on fields such as healthcare, and they lean on short-term credential programs as steppingstones to new careers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• firsthand