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Synonyms

hands-off

American  
[handz-awf, -of] / ˈhændzˈɔf, -ˈɒf /

adjective

  1. characterized by nonintervention or noninterference.

    the new hands-off foreign policy.

  2. remote or unfriendly; estranging.

    a truculent, hands-off manner toward strangers.


hands-off British  

adjective

  1. (of a machine, device, etc) without need of manual operation

  2. denoting a policy, etc, of deliberate noninvolvement

    a hands-off strategy towards industry

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hands off Idioms  
  1. An order to stop touching or interfering with something, as in Hands off the cake, children! This idiom is also put as keep one's hands off, as in She knew she had to keep her hands off so he could learn to tie his shoes by himself. [Mid-1500s]


Etymology

Origin of hands-off

First recorded in 1860–65

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.

With this technology, the new partners say they hope to leverage AI-powered tools to aid and protect artists’ work, instead of using hands-off generative AI.

From Los Angeles Times

“Absent such pressure, Beijing has little reason to recalibrate its hands-off approach,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

It calls for the sustainability of public finances to be restored, adding efforts previously taken to control such finances by the Treasury were "limited and hands-off".

From BBC

Buffett is a famously hands-off manager, building Berkshire as a decentralized company with just a handful of top executives and largely autonomous subsidiaries.

From The Wall Street Journal

But among some inside the Police Department, there are growing frustrations with officer discipline and the new chief’s hands-off style.

From Los Angeles Times