View synonyms for

hands-off

[handz-awf, -of]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

characterized by nonintervention or noninterference.
the new hands-off foreign policy.
remote or unfriendly; estranging.
a truculent, hands-off manner toward strangers.

hands-off

adjective

(of a machine, device, etc) without need of manual operation
denoting a policy, etc, of deliberate noninvolvement
a hands-off strategy towards industry

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Word History and Origins

Origin of hands-off¹

First recorded in 1860–65

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Idioms and Phrases

An order to stop touching or interfering with something, as in Hands off the cake, children! This idiom is also put as keep one's hands off, as in She knew she had to keep her hands off so he could learn to tie his shoes by himself. [Mid-1500s]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Executives’ hands-off approach worked: “Chimp Crazy” was the most popular HBO documentary in years.

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Despite shifting global priorities and a hands-off posture at first, the US ultimately stepped in as the indispensable mediator between South Asia's nuclear rivals.

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Key players stopped listening to him, others grew weary of his hands-off approach.

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The hands-off approach to environmental enforcement comes amid Trump’s repeated pledges to go easier on polluters.

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Perkins explains he has a somewhat hands-off approach to the performances in his films, mostly leaving the actors free to interpret the script as they wish.

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hand signal handsome

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