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
Pritzker's office said hundreds of videos and firsthand accounts of the immigration crackdown already had been collected in October when the commission was launched and will be preserved for use in future legal proceedings.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Technological substitutes for firsthand encounters with human beings who are different from us do not exist.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Since the start of the school year, four Cristo Rey students have worked as interns to gain administrative skills and firsthand experience in how a nonprofit operates.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
But people with firsthand knowledge of the deal, who asked not to be named because the matter is private, say nothing has changed on that front.
—Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for firsthand
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Todd Feurer, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Technological substitutes for firsthand encounters with human beings who are different from us do not exist.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Since the start of the school year, four Cristo Rey students have worked as interns to gain administrative skills and firsthand experience in how a nonprofit operates.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
But people with firsthand knowledge of the deal, who asked not to be named because the matter is private, say nothing has changed on that front.
—Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for firsthand
Cite this Entry
“Firsthand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firsthand. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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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