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

Alom knows that from firsthand experience, including her time training at the Silver Garden studio in downtown Miami before opening her own space. — Maykel Gonzalez, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026

Minhaj’s wife danced competitively, and Venkataramanujam performed with an a cappella team called Chai Town, giving him firsthand knowledge of how consuming the competition circuit can become. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026

That project gives the joint venture firsthand experience with the program’s specialized construction requirements. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026

And there is nothing that motivates politicians, primarily members of Congress more, than hearing firsthand face-to-face concerns from their constituents in their districts. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 17 Sep. 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