1 B1 neutral
To give something to another person, especially under pressure or as part of a formal process.
"The thief was ordered to hand over his weapon immediately."
separable
hand over
B1 neutral separable transitive
To give control, possession, or custody of something to another person or authority.
In plain English
To give something important to someone else, who now takes charge of it.
What does "hand over" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To transfer power, control, or authority to another person or group.
"The president handed over power peacefully after losing the election."
“
"Nelson Mandela handed over power to Thabo Mbeki in 1999."
— BBC News, historical archives
separable
3 B1 neutral
To pass a person, especially a suspect or criminal, to an authority.
"The fugitive was captured and handed over to the local police."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move something using your hand across to another person.
Actually means
To give something important to someone else, who now takes charge of it.
Usage tip
Used in legal, political, and everyday contexts. 'Hand over the money' and 'hand over control' are very common. Also used in broadcasting to mean passing the programme to someone else. The noun 'handover' refers to the event of transferring control.
Words that pair with "hand over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
control power suspect money document passport authority
How to conjugate "hand over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hand over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hands over
he/she/it
Past simple
handed over
yesterday
Past participle
handed over
have + pp
-ing form
handing over
continuous
Hear "hand over" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hand over" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "hand over"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
cede deliver relinquish surrender transfer yield
Keep exploring
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