handwavy

H4A1N1D2W4A1V4Y4
/ˈhændˌweɪvi/

adjective

Missing important details or logical steps, perhaps instead appealing to laymen, common sense, tradition, intuition, or examples.

Scrabble 21
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Meanings

adjectivehandwavy (comparative more handwavy, superlative most handwavy)

comparative more handwavy · superlative most handwavy · alternative hand-wavy

  1. informalproof; or explanation; proof; or explanationMissing important details or logical steps, perhaps instead appealing to laymen, common sense, tradition, intuition, or examples.
Cite this entry
APA

handwavy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handwavy

MLA

“handwavy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handwavy. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “handwavy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handwavy.

Source: handwavy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.