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
The group will provide firsthand testimony about their experiences in Hamas’ tunnels.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2025
Written and directed by Jacques Audiard, a straight, white French guy, the film has no firsthand knowledge of either the Mexican or trans experience.
—Cristina Escobar, refinery29.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Online reviews and a sleek website are great, but nothing beats the firsthand account of someone who has worked with them.
—David Crown, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
So, there were firsthand testimonies by many people who lost their relatives or were just passengers on the train.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firsthand
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.
Landon Mion, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2025
Written and directed by Jacques Audiard, a straight, white French guy, the film has no firsthand knowledge of either the Mexican or trans experience.
—Cristina Escobar, refinery29.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Online reviews and a sleek website are great, but nothing beats the firsthand account of someone who has worked with them.
—David Crown, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
So, there were firsthand testimonies by many people who lost their relatives or were just passengers on the train.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 Mar. 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 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
firsthand
adjective
first·hand
ˈfərst-ˈhand
: coming directly from the original source
a firsthand account of the war
firsthand
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share