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
-
after another user or owner.
He bought it secondhand.
-
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.
Something mysterious has been happening in the world of secondhand books.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Eric Baker and Jeff Fluhr founded StubHub in 2000 on a simple premise: buying secondhand tickets shouldn’t feel like a back-alley shakedown.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Sellers—many of whom have earned devoted followings for their style and ability to source coveted fashions—put up a mixture of new and secondhand items.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
More online platforms are giving secondhand shopping a digital upgrade, rolling out features like livestream shopping and AI-powered search to make thrifting faster and more exciting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
It was nearly eight a.m. when Michael sailed through the front door to find his sixteen-year-old babysitter perched on his secondhand couch.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
