firsthand
167
3.5
- adjective
- /ˈfɜrstˌhænd/
:
de primera mano
- We will hear firsthand from the witnesses regarding these events.
- firsthand experience
- know firsthand
- see firsthand
Examples
-
Educational tour companies also valued leaders with firsthand knowledge of the destination.
Academic text (2011) -
Our chief problem is lack of firsthand knowledge.
-
I come here to get a firsthand look at the west and study.
-
I am asking you if you have any firsthand, personal knowledge of such a case!
-
We need firsthand intelligence of the tunnel systems.
-
Museums like the Art Institute offer the only firsthand experience of African art that many visitors will have.
Academic text (1999) -
But nothing compares to learning firsthand lessons of history.
-
Working with the director of IMSS allowed a firsthand glimpse into the life of the international student on campus.
Academic text (2013) -
In New York and elsewhere, she toured immigrant tenements to gain a firsthand view of their conditions.
Academic text (1999) -
She wrote a book based on her firsthand experience as a traveler in remote countries.
Synonyms
1
3.5
Directly from the person, place, or event involved
Antonyms
78
4.2
In a way that does not say something clearly, often by a hint or through someone else
How Direct
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Firsthand comes from the simple parts first ('before' or 'main') and hand ('by someone's hand' or 'directly from a person'), creating the picture of receiving something 'from the person's own hand'. That's why firsthand means getting information or experience 'directly from the source' or 'from personal experience'.