1. the quality of being right-handed or left-handed; the tendency to use one hand more skillfully or preferentially than the other
2. in physics and chemistry, the property of an object or molecule that makes it asymmetrical and unable to be superimposed on its mirror image
Usage: technical; also called chirality

Examples

• Most people are right-handed, but handedness varies across populations.
• The child's handedness was not fully established until age five.
• Scientists study handedness to understand brain lateralization.
• In chemistry, the handedness of a molecule affects how it interacts with other substances.
• Handedness can influence which sports position a player is best suited for.
• Researchers have found that handedness has both genetic and environmental factors.