red-handed

American  

[red-han-did] / ˈrɛdˈhæn dɪd /

adjective

1. in the very act of a crime, wrongdoing, etc., or in possession of self-incriminating evidence.

   They caught him red-handed dipping into the till.

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red-handed British  

adjective

1. (postpositive) in the act of committing a crime or doing something wrong or shameful (esp in the phrase catch red-handed )

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Other Word Forms

• red-handedly
  adverb
• red-handedness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of red-handed

First recorded in 1810–20

Explanation

Someone is red-handed if it's obvious they're guilty of some wrongdoing, or are even in the midst of doing it. If you catch your brother with his hand literally in the cookie jar, you can say you caught him red-handed. A fancier way to say red-handed is the Latin phrase in flagrante delicto, or "in blazing offense." Aside from this legal term, you can also say "caught in the act." Red-handed comes from legal terminology too — specifically, a Scottish legal term that was inspired by the grisly image of a murderer who's been caught with bloody hands.

Example Sentences

For markets, this is like stealing the last cookie in the cookie jar, getting caught red handed, and, instead of a good spanking, you get another cookie, with chocolate on.

From Reuters • Feb. 2, 2023

He said it was good when "somebody who is caught red handed actually pleads guilty".

From BBC • Sep. 24, 2022

"It reads a lot like a stern but polite reprimand of a child caught red handed who needs to be read the riot act," he wrote.

From Salon • Sep. 22, 2022

Mr. Boling asked Mr. Brown at one point if the military had caught on to him stealing personal information, asking if he had been “popped red handed snappin shots at the gig,” the indictment said.

From New York Times • Aug. 21, 2019

She fought the fly for some time, then 96 finally opening her eyes, she caught Tommy red handed.

From The Meadow-Brook Girls Across Country The Young Pathfinders on a Summer Hike by Aldridge, Janet