Standard Lemma guide

handedness

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: HH AE1 N D AH0 D N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The property that distinguishes an asymmetric object from its mirror image. For example, the essential difference between a left and right glove.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chirality

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: laterality

2

noun

Meaning 2

A preference (usually innate) for using one hand rather than the other.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the property of using one hand more than the other

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: laterality

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: asymmetry, dissymmetry, imbalance

Narrower terms: ambidexterity, ambidextrousness, left-handedness, sinistrality, right-handedness, dextrality

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *handuz Proto-West Germanic *handu Old English hand Middle English hond English hand Old English -ed Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Germanic *-ōdaz Old English -od Middle English -ed English -ed English handed Proto-Germanic *-in- ▲ Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English handedness From handed + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: kätisyys — property
  • Finnish: kiraalisuus — property
  • French: chiralité — property
  • German: Chiralität — property
  • Romanian: chiralitate — property
  • Finnish: kätisyys — preference for using the right or left hand
  • French: préférence manuelle — preference for using the right or left hand
  • German: Händigkeit — preference for using the right or left hand
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hendthet — preference for using the right or left hand
  • Polish: stronność — preference for using the right or left hand
  • Romanian: dextralitate — preference for using the right or left hand
  • Romanian: preferință manuală — preference for using the right or left hand
  • Spanish: manaje — preference for using the right or left hand
  • Spanish: lateralidad — preference for using the right or left hand
  • Swedish: hänthet — preference for using the right or left hand