handling

C1 Topic:People & Society

US /ˈhændl̩ɪŋ/ See IPA manual

Freq #4933

Meanings

1

noun
The way someone deals with or manages a situation, task, or people.

Her calm handling of the crisis impressed everyone.
2

noun
The act of touching, moving, or carrying something with the hands.

Careful handling is needed when the boxes are marked fragile.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the way someone deals with... treatment management

2 noun · the act of touching,... manipulation

Word family

Forms handlings

Derived forms antihandlingballhandlingdouble-handlingpuck-handlingrequest-handlingshiphandling

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

handling charge
a fee for preparing, packing, or processing an order

Noun + noun

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”).

handlinge Middle English handlung Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# handling

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈhændl̩ɪŋ/
**Frequency rank:** 4933

## Meanings
1. The way someone deals with or manages a situation, task, or people.
2. The act of touching, moving, or carrying something with the hands.

## Examples
- Her calm handling of the crisis impressed everyone.
- Careful handling is needed when the boxes are marked fragile.

## Derived Forms
- antihandling
- ballhandling
- double-handling
- puck-handling
- request-handling
- shiphandling

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: handlinge
- Root: handlung

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Handling comes 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”). The historical chain includes handlinge (Middle English) and handlung (Old English). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as antihandling, ballhandling, double-handling, and puck-handling. In present use it covers the way someone deals with or manages a situation, task, or people and the act of touching, moving, or carrying something with the hands.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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