noun · verb · 8 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.
/ˈhændl̩ɪŋ/
/ˈhændlɪŋ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ændl̩ɪŋ
rhymes with -ændlɪŋ
CMU ARPABET:HH AE1 N D L IH0 NG
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:HH AE1 N D AH0 L IH0 NG
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A touching, controlling, managing, using, taking care of, etc., with the hand or hands, or as with the hands.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
baggage handling
1864, Oregon. Legislative Assembly. House of Representatives [...] at San Francisco it is warehoused and reshipped to Liverpool, or other foreign market; and in exchange for this wheat, comes back the merchandise which has to pass through all these shipments, reshipments, warehousings, handlings, &c.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The mechanism for handling or manipulating something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The mode of using the pencil or brush; style of touch.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: art, arts
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A criminal offence, the trade in stolen goods.
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
5
verb
Meaning 5
present participle and gerund of handle
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
the action of touching with the hands (or the skillful use of the hands) or by the use of mechanical means
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: manipulation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: touch, touching
Narrower terms: fielding
7
noun
Meaning 7
manual (or mechanical) carrying or moving or delivering or working with something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
the right to equal treatment in the criminal justice system
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: treatment
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: management, direction
Narrower terms: bioremediation, dealing
History
Etymology
From Middle English handlinge, hondlunge, from Old English handlung (“handling”), equivalent to handle + -ing. Cognate with Dutch handeling (“trade, operation, action”), German Handlung (“act, action”), Swedish handling (“act, deed, action”).
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Across languages
Translations
51 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
манипулиране
(manipulirane)
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Catalan:
manipulació
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Chinese Mandarin:
處理 /处理
(chǔlǐ)
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Danish:
håndtering
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Finnish:
käsittely
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
French:
manipulation
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
French:
maniement
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
German:
Bedienung
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
German:
Handhabung
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
German:
Umgang
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
German:
Handling
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Ancient Greek:
χειρισμός
(kheirismós)
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Hungarian:
kézbevétel
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Hungarian:
kézben tartás
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Hungarian:
kézbe fogás
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Hungarian:
kezelés
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Hungarian:
bánásmód
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Indonesian:
penanganan
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Irish:
glacadh
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Italian:
gestione
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Italian:
manipolazione
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Japanese:
取り扱い
(toriatsukai)
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Latin:
tractātiō
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Malay:
pengelolaan
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Malayalam:
കൈകാര്യം
(kaikāryaṁ)
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Norwegian Bokmål:
håndtering
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Norwegian Bokmål:
handtering
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Norwegian Nynorsk:
handtering
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Persian:
دستزدن
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Persian:
کیاستن
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Portuguese:
manuseio
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Portuguese:
manejo
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Russian:
обрабо́тка
(obrabótka)
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Russian:
манипули́рование
(manipulírovanije)
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Russian:
обслу́живание
(obslúživanije)
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Russian:
обхожде́ние
(obxoždénije)
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Russian:
обраще́ние
(obraščénije)
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Spanish:
manipulación
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Spanish:
manejo
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Spanish:
conducción
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Swedish:
hantering
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Urhobo:
ẹruote
— touching, controlling, managing with the hands
Esperanto:
ricelo
— criminal offence
Finnish:
varastetun tavaran kauppa
— criminal offence
