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
Walmsley, a mother of four, says giving birth in Paris, London, and New York gave her firsthand experience of the differences between the three countries’ medical systems.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Multiple firsthand accounts confirm that processing legitimate compensation is being complicated by false claims using details found on bag tags.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
This perspective has given me a firsthand view of why so many AI initiatives fail.
—Andy Watts, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
These include a Nunavut man’s firsthand account of discovering the wreck of the HMS Terror, one of British Captain John Franklin’s two doomed mid-19th-century expedition ships, which became trapped in ice before sinking off the southwest coast of King William Island.
—Robin Catalano, AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firsthand
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Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Multiple firsthand accounts confirm that processing legitimate compensation is being complicated by false claims using details found on bag tags.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
This perspective has given me a firsthand view of why so many AI initiatives fail.
—Andy Watts, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
These include a Nunavut man’s firsthand account of discovering the wreck of the HMS Terror, one of British Captain John Franklin’s two doomed mid-19th-century expedition ships, which became trapped in ice before sinking off the southwest coast of King William Island.
—Robin Catalano, AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 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 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
firsthand
adjective
first·hand
ˈfərst-ˈhand
: coming directly from the original source
a firsthand account of the war
firsthand
adverb
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