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.

firsthand adverb

Synonyms of firsthand

• primary
• direct
• immediate

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

While Coxon and Kokotajlo described the industry as a whole, Turner offered a firsthand account of trying to change one company from the inside. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Corporate leaders go undercover within their own organizations to gain firsthand insight into their workforce and operations. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

In addition to testimony from Perry Bowick, the series will include stories of firsthand memories from Perry’s friends David Pressman and Roger Castillo, along with several former girlfriends. — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026

Netanyahu asked Sheikh Mohammed to deny the report, according to a person said to have firsthand information about the meeting. — Josef Federman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for firsthand

• armband
• backhand
• bandstand
• baseband
• broadband
• command
• cropland
• demand
• disband
• dreamland
• expand
• farmhand

Kids Definition

firsthand

adjective

first·​hand ˈfərst-ˈhand 

: coming directly from the original source

a firsthand account of the war

firsthand adverb