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

Derived Forms

• red-handedness
  noun
• red-handedly
  adverb

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

The Russian authorities say the American was "caught red-handed" with "classified information".

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2024

PUTIN’S QUOTE: “He was caught red-handed when he was secretly getting classified information.”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 9, 2024

“Even when he is literally caught red-handed, he won’t want to admit it.”

From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2024

That contrasted with its reaction after Gershkovich's arrest, when Peskov told reporters, without providing evidence, that the reporter had been "caught red-handed" while trying to obtain military secrets.

From Reuters • Oct. 20, 2023

For a moment my mom thought she’d caught me red-handed, but Teddy’d given me a solid alibi.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah