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Synonyms

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.
hands-on British  

adjective

  1. involving practical experience of equipment, etc

    hands-on training in the use of computers
"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

Etymology

Origin of hands-on

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

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.

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

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

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 • Mar. 21, 2026

Proton’s customer support prioritizes self-service, which may not satisfy users who want immediate, hands-on assistance from actual humans.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

She calmly proceeds to the hands-on portion of the lab.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.