handholding

[ hand-hohl-ding ]

noun

1. the act of holding hands, especially as a sign or token of affection.
2. constant reassurance and help, especially as an indication of one's interest or confidence:

   We do a lot of handholding with our clients.

Word History and Origins

Origin of handholding¹

First recorded in 1905–10; hand + holding

Example Sentences

"We're not actually taking any of the information ourselves," he explained, adding "we're just kind of handholding and making sure that the police are getting all the information that is necessary."

From BBC

"A holistic approach that looks at restoring natural ecosystems along with traditional knowledge, handholding support, credit and other factors are equally important for successful farming."

From BBC

The handholding and cheery joint interviews between Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour’s commissioner, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, were a dramatic turn from the sniping that had defined the past year’s competition.

From Slate

He will likely need some therapy and handholding to get to a place where he’ll take responsibility in the way you want him to, but you can outsource the handholding.

From Slate

It does a fair amount of handholding to introduce you to different features, but it never feels intrusive.

From The Verge