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 of firsthand

• primary
• direct
• immediate

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

The Kansas City Public Library’s oral history project, Speaking of Kansas City, preserves the firsthand accounts of Hispanic flood survivors from Argentine. — Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

Accompanied by firsthand reflections from the photographers, these images offer a glimpse of how local communities gathered to share in the Cup, as well as the observations that stayed with the photographers who documented it. — Meredith Nierman, NPR, 17 July 2026

Agents were not equipped with body cameras, so there is no firsthand video of what happened. — Maria Santana, CNN Money, 15 July 2026

Ledbetter said officials are continuing to seek photos, videos and firsthand accounts from anyone who was on Horn Island that day. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026

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