firsthand

American  

[furst-hand] / ˈfɜrstˈhænd /

Or first-hand

adverb

1. from the first or original source.

   We heard the news of the accident firsthand from a witness.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the first or original source.

2. direct from the original source.

   firsthand knowledge of the riot.

Etymology

Origin of firsthand

First recorded in 1690–1700; first + hand

Explanation

Anything firsthand is directly experienced, so your firsthand knowledge of the new math teacher's purple hair comes from the fact that you've seen it with your very own eyes. When you get information from someone who saw something happen or heard something said, that's firsthand evidence. And anything you see or hear yourself is also firsthand. Your summer job might be a firsthand look at what farming is really like. Interviewing a witness to a crime gives a police officer firsthand testimony about what exactly happened. This word, coined around 1690, comes from the idea that the maker of something is its first hand.

Example Sentences

Firsthand accounts of a therapy’s life-changing effects can be powerfully compelling.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2024

Firsthand accounts affirm that she was observed in both roles on set.

From Fox News • Nov. 5, 2021

Firsthand experience allows for a tale that’s more complex than a somber lament.

From Slate • Oct. 13, 2020

Firsthand information about what is below the surface is very limited; most of what we know is pieced together from hypothetical models, and analyzing seismic wave data and meteorite materials.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

"My tattler tells all. Reputable sources only. Firsthand accounts."

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton