firsthand

adjective

first·​hand ˈfərst-ˈhand How to pronounce firsthand (audio)
: 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

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
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.
Zito’s new book, Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland, provides a firsthand account of the attempt on Trump’s life and will be released Tuesday. Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 7 July 2025 Passengers onboard took to social media to share their firsthand accounts of the incident and the rescue operation. Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025 Poop Cruise recounts the chaos through firsthand accounts and reveals just how bad things got. Emily Blackwood, People.com, 25 June 2025 Their firsthand experience with the sorts of systems being portrayed as vulnerable personalized the threat. Bruce Schneier, The Conversation, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for firsthand

Word History

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of firsthand was in 1699

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Firsthand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firsthand. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

firsthand

adjective
first·​hand ˈfərst-ˈhand How to pronounce firsthand (audio)
: coming directly from the original source
a firsthand account of the war
firsthand adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on firsthand

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!