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

As the blackout has slowly been lifted, CNN has pieced together the events of that weekend through firsthand accounts from protesters who have left the country since, and through videos of the carnage shared by activist groups. —Sarah Dean, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026

Chiarella spoke extensively to those with firsthand experience. —David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026

Jordan followed up by naming two firsthand witnesses — former White House deputy chief of staff for operations Tony Ornato and Secret Service agent Bobby Engel — both of whom publicly denied the incident occurred. —Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Jan. 2026

That optimism is tempered by firsthand exposure to just how low pros routinely go. —Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 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