Handover

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The act of transferring authority or responsibility from one party to another entails the delivery of assets or information to ensure a seamless transition
2. A procedure involving the relinquishment of control over a task or resource to another individual or group is crucial for effective management and communication
3. The process of passing control or duties from one person or group to another in an organized manner

Etymology: "Handover" is a deverbal noun, meaning it was formed from the phrasal verb "hand over" rather than the other way round. The verb itself is built from the ordinary words "hand" and "over," and the sense of physically passing something from one person to another gave rise to the more abstract idea of transferring responsibility, custody or control. The noun carries the same core picture. A handover is the moment when something held by one party is passed into the grasp of another, whether that is a baton in a relay, the keys to a building, or a project moving from one team to the next. The compound thus keeps its literal, bodily origin even when it describes an administrative or organisational process.

Synonyms: transfer, delivery, relinquishment, surrender, assignment

Antonyms: retention, withholding, keeping, holding, maintaining