on hand
Idioms-
In one's possession, available, as in The business needs to have enough cash on hand . [c. 1100]
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Present, as in Jim was always on hand to help . [Mid-1800s]
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Soon, imminent. See at hand , def. 2.
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.
Around 350 members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces arrived last week in Borneo's hard-hit West Kalimantan province, with three helicopters on hand to assist with firefighting efforts, the mission's public affairs officer Takeshi Koga told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Tehran was believed to have the ability to assemble at least a couple of hundred missiles from components it had on hand, the official said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Also on hand were both Los Angeles mayoral candidates: incumbent Bass and challenger Nithya Raman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
As of July 31, it had $403 million on hand.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
Every now and then my parents have Styrofoam or plastic bowls on hand, but most of the time they don’t, so I have to secretly take a real one.
From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
