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.
William W. Finan, Jr.
firsthand
adverb
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 exhibit highlights the reactions and experiences of men and women in the U.S. military who saw firsthand evidence of Nazi atrocities in April 1945.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Feb. 2024
Having firsthand knowledge of products allows agents to help customers maximize financial resources by showing them how to get the most out of products or even recommend alternatives that better align with their goals.
—Logan Rush, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
On display were archival images, personal mementos, and compelling firsthand accounts of the devastation and its aftermath.
—Susan Portnoy, Travel + Leisure, 29 Mar. 2024
Hemmer received a firsthand look at that side of the operation as well, taking a helicopter even further north to meet up with the USS Hampton.
—Michael Lee, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024
God-awful evidence, video and audio recordings by Hamas gunmen, firsthand accounts — and confessions — had already been collected and analyzed.
—Jeff Robbins, Orange County Register, 14 Mar. 2024
The driver’s transcript is the most detailed firsthand account so far of how Mr. Trump behaved inside his presidential motorcade that day, traveling the short distance from the White House to the Ellipse.
—Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
But no firsthand survivor accounts have appeared in the media or independent reports; most of the attack's victims are presumed to be dead.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024
Pramila Patten, the UN special envoy, said a lack of survivors or witnesses made firsthand accounts difficult to collect.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024
Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Feb. 2024
Having firsthand knowledge of products allows agents to help customers maximize financial resources by showing them how to get the most out of products or even recommend alternatives that better align with their goals.
—Logan Rush, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
On display were archival images, personal mementos, and compelling firsthand accounts of the devastation and its aftermath.
—Susan Portnoy, Travel + Leisure, 29 Mar. 2024
Hemmer received a firsthand look at that side of the operation as well, taking a helicopter even further north to meet up with the USS Hampton.
—Michael Lee, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024
God-awful evidence, video and audio recordings by Hamas gunmen, firsthand accounts — and confessions — had already been collected and analyzed.
—Jeff Robbins, Orange County Register, 14 Mar. 2024
The driver’s transcript is the most detailed firsthand account so far of how Mr. Trump behaved inside his presidential motorcade that day, traveling the short distance from the White House to the Ellipse.
—Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
But no firsthand survivor accounts have appeared in the media or independent reports; most of the attack's victims are presumed to be dead.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024
Pramila Patten, the UN special envoy, said a lack of survivors or witnesses made firsthand accounts difficult to collect.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'firsthand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near firsthand
Cite this Entry
“Firsthand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firsthand. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
firsthand
adjective
first·hand
ˈfərst-ˈhand
: coming directly from the original source
a firsthand account of the war
firsthand
adverb
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