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

Highlights include a three-course dinner, live and silent auctions, live entertainment and dancing, along with firsthand stories from Home Start families. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026

At that point no one with firsthand knowledge had come forward to contradict Swalwell’s denial of wrongdoing. —Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026

Akbar, Gulbadan’s nephew and Humayun’s son, commissioned it as a firsthand record of his father’s life and reign and the general society of the time. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026

For Voyo Popovic, Founder and CEO of Piece of Cake Moving & Storage, that realization came from firsthand experience. —Nia Bowers, USA Today, 8 Apr. 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