firsthand
or first-hand
from the first or original source: We heard the news of the accident firsthand from a witness.
of or relating to the first or original source.
direct from the original source: firsthand knowledge of the riot.
Origin of firsthand
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use firsthand in a sentence
We wanted to understand first-hand what it was really like for struggling families to live in this mined-out coal town.
Filming a Beautiful Town in Decay: ‘Rich Hill’ and the Elusive American Dream | Tracy Droz Tragos | July 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDr. Gardere said he has seen first-hand the role faith has played in helping people recover from seemingly unfathomable setbacks.
Donna Rice: ‘My Heart Really Goes Out to Monica Lewinsky’ | Keli Goff | May 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAffleck revealed that it was hearing first-hand stories that awoke him to the “moral obligation” of intervening.
Why Does Congress Listen to Celebrities like Ben Affleck? | Tim Teeman | February 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI know first-hand that it can be difficult to confront such issues.
Teaching for two years in Harlem, Jonathan Sheehan saw first-hand how standardized testing is destroying public education.
A Teach for America Alum On How Testing Is Hurting Our Kids | Jonathan Sheehan | October 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Apart from him and his adherents there is indeed no first-hand evidence for Palladian Masonry.
Devil-Worship in France | Arthur Edward WaiteHuman life at first-hand had not been too plentiful with him.
Tristram of Blent | Anthony HopeBefore oil was introduced for the lamps it is said the lantern was lit by coal-fires—a kind of first-hand use of gas.
The Cornwall Coast | Arthur L. SalmonPossibly the first-hand memoir of a miracle would have satisfied us, or the harrowing confessions and last wishes of the moribund.
Where the Pavement Ends | John RussellA first-hand account of how the Indian brave decorated his face cannot but prove of interest.
The Myths of the North American Indians | Lewis Spence
British Dictionary definitions for first-hand
from the original source; direct or directly: first-hand news; he got the news first-hand
at first hand from the original source; directly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with firsthand
see at first hand.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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