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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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.
One woman who attended told us she owned a secondhand shop.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
European brokers and aircraft-management firms often acquire Bombardier and Gulfstream jets by purchasing them secondhand from other companies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
Researchers know that outdoor air pollution, secondhand smoke and cooking oil fumes can contribute to lung cancer risk.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
In the meantime, the US and UK will be rotating their existing nuclear-powered submarines through Australia, and in the 2030s Australia will buy secondhand nuclear submarines from the US.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
Even our school uniforms, which we had to buy each year, were secondhand, and often thin or torn in spots.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
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.
