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.

---

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

Example Sentences

Copeland said her mother might get a homemade card, and she added that she is browsing secondhand shops and websites in search of other budget gifts.

From The Wall Street Journal

O’Neal hired a company that developed scents for Las Vegas casinos in an effort to eliminate the musty aroma that often plagues secondhand stores.

From The Wall Street Journal

More than a decade later, the North Carolina-based artist still gets a thrill from the treasure hunt at secondhand stores.

From MarketWatch

With few possessions other than his cats, he proceeded to furnish the unit with secondhand items he found primarily on Facebook Marketplace.

From Los Angeles Times

Breathing in secondhand smoke in prison is “inhuman and degrading treatment” if the judges say so, while not being allowed to produce secondhand smoke is a violation of the “right to private life.”

From The Wall Street Journal