sec·ond·hand
ˈse-kən(d)-ˈhand 
1
a
: received from or through an intermediary : borrowed
b
: derivative
secondhand ideas
2
a
: acquired after being used by another : not new
secondhand books
b
: dealing in secondhand merchandise
a secondhand bookstore
1
: at second hand : indirectly
heard about it secondhand
2
: as a secondhand item
bought the couch secondhand
: an intermediate person or means : intermediary
—usually used in the phrase at second hand
: the hand marking seconds on a timepiece
Examples of secondhand in a Sentence
Adjective
a dealer in secondhand furniture
He's always haunting the secondhand shops for bargains.
Recent Examples on the Web
Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Upholstered Furniture Unlike damage furniture, buying secondhand upholstered pieces isn't as frowned upon, but Morse recommends looking over each piece with a careful eye to determine if this item will be a good investment.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
Nelson’s family has only heard about the attack secondhand.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2025
Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2025
One-hand dispensing The majority of coffee urns require one hand to hold the cup and the second hand to operate the lever on the spout.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for secondhand
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Adjective
Kerstin Block, best known as the founder of the iconic secondhand store Buffalo Exchange, has died.
—Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Upholstered Furniture Unlike damage furniture, buying secondhand upholstered pieces isn't as frowned upon, but Morse recommends looking over each piece with a careful eye to determine if this item will be a good investment.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Adverb
Many of her other memories of Freetown come secondhand from typing up The Taste of Country Cooking.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
Nelson’s family has only heard about the attack secondhand.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
The pilot watch’s dial features a team’s primary color, like the Detroit Lions’s Honolulu Blue, and the second hand its secondary color—in this case, silver.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2025
One-hand dispensing The majority of coffee urns require one hand to hold the cup and the second hand to operate the lever on the spout.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for secondhand
Cite this Entry
“Secondhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secondhand. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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