firsthand

adjective

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

Synonyms of firsthand

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
While getting firsthand information from inside Russia can be daunting, reports of long lines and high costs for fuel are growing. — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 30 July 2026 The Office of Emergency Management invited CBS News Chicago onto the streets for a firsthand look at what traffic management teams are dealing with as the festival gets underway at Grant Park. — Tara Molina, CBS News, 30 July 2026 Highlights include a three-course dinner, live music and silent and live auction emceed by Clint Bell along with firsthand stories told by veterans the nonprofit has helped. — Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2026 In recent years, Montana has also had his own firsthand experiences with Hollywood. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 30 July 2026 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

Rhymes for firsthand

See All Rhymes for firsthand

Browse Nearby Words

First Gentleman
firsthand
first inversion
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Firsthand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firsthand. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Nglish: Translation of firsthand for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All