handedness

noun

hand·​ed·​ness ˈhan-dəd-nəs 

1

: a tendency to use one hand rather than the other

2

a

: the property of an object (such as a molecule) of not being identical with its mirror image : chirality

b

: either of the two configurations of an object that may exist in forms which are nonidentical mirror images

Examples of handedness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Life’s one-handedness puzzle The duo’s research has both given chemists fundamental new tools that are widely used in their daily work and awakened interest in the chemistry of life’s origins, the committee said. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Chemists knew that for such a reaction to occur, the catalyst (the substance that drives the reaction) would have to have a specific chirality (handedness) itself. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

For now, his aggression, right-handedness and faceoff prowess are key assets for a team lacking forward depth. — Janson Duench, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

This unique propagation gives rise to wave trajectories with directional rotation, or handedness, which dictates whether paths rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

handedness

noun

hand·​ed·​ness -nəs 

1

: a tendency to use one hand rather than the other

2

: the property of an object (as a molecule) of not being identical with its mirror image

3

: the property of having either a clockwise or counterclockwise motion (as the corkscrew movement of some microorganisms or their flagella or cilia)