1.To hand down something (or hand something down) is to give or teach something to someone who is younger than you: someone who will be alive after you have died.
Examples of use:
a) This violin has been handed down from my great grandmother and my grandmother.
b) My Christmas pudding recipe was handed down to me by my grandmother.
c) I am going to hand my book collection down to my children.
d) Their family traditions have been handed down from generation to generation.
2. To hand down something (or hand something down) is to give an official decision, especially an official verdict or a prison sentence.
Examples of use:
a) The judge handed down a twenty year prison sentence to the prisoner.
b) The victim’s family are disgusted with the punishment handed down by the judge.
| infinitive |
hand down |
| present simple |
hand down and hands down |
| -ing form |
handing down |
| past simple |
handed down |
| past participle |
handed down |
Can you use this phrasal verb in a sentence?
Has a tradition or possession been handed down to you by someone in your family?
Image © Doug Miller
