adj · adv · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɜːstˌhænd/
Canada, General-American:/ˈfɝstˌhænd/
Canada, General-American:[ˈfɝstˌhɛənd]/æ/ raising
Canada, General-American:[ˌfɝstˈhɛənd]/æ/ raising
Midwestern-US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ænd
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌfɜːstˈhænd/
Canada, General-American:/ˌfɝstˈhænd/
CMU ARPABET:F ER0 S T HH AE1 N D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:F ER0 S HH AE1 N D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 3:F ER1 S T HH AE0 N D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 4:F ER1 S HH AE0 N D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Direct, without intermediate stages.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
firsthand knowledge
1990 March, Cliff Gromer, Firsthand Report: Yamaha WaveRunner III, Popular Mechanics.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Not previously owned or used; contrasted with secondhand.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
a firsthand copy
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adv
Meaning 3
Directly or from personal experience.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
2003, Katherine Edgar, “Levant”, in Jennifer Speake, Literature of Travel and Exploration: G to P However, the romantic subjective approach persisted, allowing the nontraveling reader the illusion of experiencing the region at firsthand, [...]
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
received directly from a source
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
firsthand information
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adverb
Meaning 5
from the original source; directly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
I heard this story firsthand
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: at first hand
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From first + hand.
Across languages
Translations
17 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
непосредствен
(neposredstven)
— direct, without intermediate stages
Catalan:
de primera mà
— direct, without intermediate stages
Chinese Mandarin:
第一手
(dìyīshǒu)
— direct, without intermediate stages
Finnish:
ensi käden
— direct, without intermediate stages
German:
aus erster Hand
— direct, without intermediate stages
German:
unmittelbar
— direct, without intermediate stages
German:
direkt
— direct, without intermediate stages
Greek:
από πρώτο χέρι
(apó próto chéri)
— direct, without intermediate stages
Italian:
di prima mano
— direct, without intermediate stages
Italian:
nuovo
— direct, without intermediate stages
Italian:
recente
— direct, without intermediate stages
Polish:
z pierwszej ręki
— direct, without intermediate stages
Portuguese:
de primeira mão
— direct, without intermediate stages
Russian:
полу́ченный из пе́рвых рук
(polúčennyj iz pérvyx ruk)
— direct, without intermediate stages
Russian:
из пе́рвых рук
(iz pérvyx ruk)
— direct, without intermediate stages
Spanish:
de primera mano
— direct, without intermediate stages
