firsthand

adjective

first·​hand ˈfərst-ˈhand 

: obtained by, coming from, or being direct personal observation or experience

a firsthand account of the war

… had a firsthand view of the turmoil that wracked the region.

—William W. Finan, Jr.

firsthand adverb

Synonyms

• direct
• immediate
• primary
• unmediated

Examples of firsthand in a Sentence

He gave a firsthand account of the battle.

She draws on firsthand experiences for her novel.

Recent Examples on the Web

And worries about a lack of opportunity to improve professionally via firsthand experience can be managed as employees receive knowledge and skills development as a byproduct of AI training and use. —Beena Ammanath, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg described in a firsthand account being invited to a chat on the encrypted messaging app Signal that included several senior officials. —Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025

The series has access to declassified materials and firsthand accounts, revealing how the anthrax attacks reshaped America—and its hidden impact today. —Peter White, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2025

Rachel Osier Lindley/The Texas Newsroom A firsthand look at Smokehouse Creek fire recovery Ezzell Brown has lived most of her life in Canadian. —Rachel Osier Lindley, NPR, 20 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for firsthand

• armband
• backhand
• bandstand
• baseband
• broadband
• command
• cropland
• demand
• disband
• dreamland
• expand
• farmhand

Kids Definition

firsthand

adjective

first·​hand ˈfərst-ˈhand 

: coming directly from the original source

a firsthand account of the war

firsthand adverb