secondhand

American  

[sek-uhnd-hand] / ˈsɛk əndˈhænd /

adjective

1. not directly known or experienced; obtained from others or from books.

   Most of our knowledge is secondhand.

2. previously used or owned.

   secondhand clothes.

3. dealing in previously used goods.

   a secondhand bookseller.

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adverb

1. after another user or owner.

   He bought it secondhand.

2. indirectly; at second hand.

   He heard the news secondhand.

Other Word Forms

• secondhandedness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of secondhand

First recorded in 1645–55; second ¹ + hand

Explanation

Anything that's secondhand has been used before. Your secondhand boots may look brand new, but they were owned by someone else before you bought them. Things that aren't new are secondhand, so you might buy a secondhand car from your grandma or shop at a secondhand clothing store to get good deals. You can also use this adjective to mean "not from an original or primary source." If your sister tells you that her best friend told her that he saw a famous movie star at the coffee shop, that's secondhand information.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

secondhand

To save money, she also buys clothes secondhand where possible, from charity shops, car boot sales and sites like Vinted.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

There is not enough evidence to confirm that secondhand marijuana smoke increases lung cancer risk.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026

Elsewhere, displays are stocked with secondhand Chanel handbags, Rolex watches and luxury footwear from Louis Vuitton and Gucci.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

But ditching the physical disc strikes a blow to secondhand markets like GameStop, allowing Take-Two to capture more profits, Griffin added.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026

But after school started, after Hannah, I was a stranger with a secondhand phone and someone named Mabel had the wrong number.

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour