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.

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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

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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]

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Etymology

Origin of hands-off

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

It also introduced an optional subscription package called Autonomy+ for driver-assistance features, such as hands-off driving.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

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 • Jan. 7, 2026

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 • Jan. 5, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

But maybe they’re just a really hands-off kind of couple.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera