hands-on

[ handz-on, -awn ]

adjective

1. characterized by or involved in active personal participation in an activity; individual and direct:

   a workshop to give children hands-on experience with computers.

2. requiring manual operation, control, adjustment, or the like; not automatic or computerized:

   the old hands-on telephone switchboards.

hands-on

adjective

1. involving practical experience of equipment, etc

   hands-on training in the use of computers

Word History and Origins

Origin of hands-on¹

First recorded in 1905–10; by analogy with hands-off

Example Sentences

DIS allows students in FSU's Honors Program to work one-on-one with faculty mentors in an open-ended, hands-on research experience and would allow Hartman to be more involved with mathematical modeling.

From Science Daily

The 17-year old Ola lives in Poland with her nagging mother and a brother who, because of his disabilities, needs hands-on care.

From New York Times

The club has a hands-on owner who likes to be part of the decision-making but respects the knowledge of the two directors of football, Winstanley and Stewart, who work closely with the manager.

From BBC

Gamers were given hands-on time with new releases including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - the latest instalment in the hugely popular first-person shooter series.

From BBC

Before taking the helm of Trump Media in 2022, Nunes had a master’s degree in agriculture but little hands-on business experience.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• firsthand