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
John Schneider, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Hunter said resale is an exciting space for e-commerce, particularly as more and more brands take on a secondhand presence of their own.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 23 June 2025
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
For every pair of jeans bought secondhand online in the UK, a consumer can save 30 kilograms of CO2 emissions, which the NGO equates to the emissions created by making 600 cups of tea.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Stephanie Lam, Mercury News, 22 June 2025
Using a telescope made from second hand parts, including part of an old wooden couch, David Wilson captured the dramatic solar event on May 7, from his backyard observatory in Inverness, Scotland.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for secondhand
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Adjective
Using a phone to check your email or calendar are secondhand actions for workers, done without any stigma.
—John Schneider, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Hunter said resale is an exciting space for e-commerce, particularly as more and more brands take on a secondhand presence of their own.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 23 June 2025
Adverb
Vicarious trauma is the emotional residue left behind from witnessing trauma secondhand, through stories, images or videos.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
For every pair of jeans bought secondhand online in the UK, a consumer can save 30 kilograms of CO2 emissions, which the NGO equates to the emissions created by making 600 cups of tea.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
From Tuesday to Saturday between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., locals can drop by and browse through hundreds of second hand treasures — all of which cost roughly a third of what shoppers can find on eBay, according to store manager Teresa London.
—Stephanie Lam, Mercury News, 22 June 2025
Using a telescope made from second hand parts, including part of an old wooden couch, David Wilson captured the dramatic solar event on May 7, from his backyard observatory in Inverness, Scotland.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 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 30 Jun. 2025.
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