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

Unraveling the Tunguska Event mystery Remarkably, scientists wouldn't get a firsthand look at the destruction caused by the Tunguska blast for almost two decades, due primarily to the extreme remoteness of the blast location. — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Preparing for fleet fielding The 26 observers received a firsthand look at APKWS performance and the requirements associated with future fleet fielding. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

Just his firsthand experience of being in those rooms with those producers, and what that dynamic is like. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Jim has been bullish on the Duo since getting a firsthand look at the device at Apple's flagship store in New York last month. — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 9 Oct. 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