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 series features interviews with former collaborators, industry insiders, survivors, and figures like Erick Sermon, weaving archival footage with firsthand accounts.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 5 Dec. 2025
And, of course, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns served in the same role for the Brewers before coming to New York two offseasons ago, so few executives have more firsthand knowledge of what Peralta brings to the table.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Debuting in January, the platform aims to transform narrative experiences into insightful, firsthand data for research and patient education.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Not Adding Enough Storage Through her career as a Mississippi realtor, Jennifer Gautier gets a firsthand look at what choices often drive homeowners to sell, and which choices don't appeal to buyers.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firsthand
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 5 Dec. 2025
And, of course, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns served in the same role for the Brewers before coming to New York two offseasons ago, so few executives have more firsthand knowledge of what Peralta brings to the table.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Debuting in January, the platform aims to transform narrative experiences into insightful, firsthand data for research and patient education.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Not Adding Enough Storage Through her career as a Mississippi realtor, Jennifer Gautier gets a firsthand look at what choices often drive homeowners to sell, and which choices don't appeal to buyers.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firsthand
Cite this Entry
“Firsthand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firsthand. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
firsthand
adjective
first·hand
ˈfərst-ˈhand
: coming directly from the original source
a firsthand account of the war
firsthand
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share