secondhand
Americanadjective
-
not directly known or experienced; obtained from others or from books.
Most of our knowledge is secondhand.
-
previously used or owned.
secondhand clothes.
-
dealing in previously used goods.
a secondhand bookseller.
adverb
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after another user or owner.
He bought it secondhand.
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indirectly; at second hand.
He heard the news secondhand.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of secondhand
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.
Vocabulary lists containing secondhand
Idioms and Expressions, List 3
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Baseball in April
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Idioms and Expressions, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Two-thirds of the $3.3 billion StepStone Private Venture and Growth Fund, aka SPRING, are these secondhand investments.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
“Behavioral contagion” is why secondhand smoke is truly dangerous, as Frank points out.
From Slate • May 15, 2026
Some sustainable fashion experts advocate for the reduction of clothing production, and recommend that consumers buy less or secondhand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Purchase imperfect secondhand garden furniture where you can sit and drink tea and read an imperfectly wonderful book by your favorite author.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
Jackson glanced at his rumpled secondhand flannel shirt Mom had found yesterday in a church used-clothes bin.
From "I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren Tarshis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
