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

As artificial intelligence threatens more office jobs, hands-on work like sailing is increasingly appealing, especially to the mechanically inclined.

From The Wall Street Journal

Kennedy said it would be very difficult for graduate nursing programs to cut costs, because of their focus on hands-on training.

From Los Angeles Times

Taiwan's assistance to it has been hands-on: agricultural experts working side by side with locals, medical teams in small clinics, funding for local entrepreneurs, and inviting students to Taiwan on scholarships.

From BBC

They are bundles of judgment, coordination and hands-on work.

From The Wall Street Journal

She went to Texas A&M to study engineering, but when her hands-on lab classes stopped because of Covid, college became less enjoyable.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• firsthand