ENGLISH
REFERENCE

firsthand

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈfɝshænd// UK //fˈɜːsthænd// first·hand

adj. coming directly from your own experience rather than hearing about it from someone else. You use this to describe knowledge you gained by being there yourself.

adj. obtained directly from the original source or through personal experience. Often used attributively before a noun to describe evidence, knowledge, or accounts.


SIMPLE

She has firsthand experience of the problem.

CONTEXTUAL

The journalist provided a firsthand account of the events after spending three weeks in the conflict zone.

COMPLEX

While textbooks provide a theoretical framework, firsthand observation of the chemical reaction in a controlled laboratory setting is essential for a complete understanding of the process.

Origin

From first + hand.

Usage

Typically placed before the noun it modifies; can also function as an adverb in the same form.

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