firsthand

[furst-hand] /ˈfɜrstˈhænd/

adverb

from the first or original source:

We heard the news of the accident firsthand from a witness.

adjective

of or pertaining to the first or original source.

direct from the original source:

firsthand knowledge of the riot.

Also, first-hand.

Origin

1690-1700; first + hand

Examples from the web for firsthand

He experienced betrayal and back-stabbing firsthand.
It would be a sucker's bet to venture that few, if any, of them have firsthand experience with military procurement.
Collectors these days tend to be interested in both beauty and behavior, which they sometimes discover firsthand.
Instead, it's a comprehensive experiential mode that lets you perceive and do things firsthand.
We do it for the enormous satisfaction one achieves in learning firsthand something new about our planet and our universe.
Take a family vacation and learn about sustainable development firsthand.
My approach to writing about a subject is to fly there to see the subject firsthand.
We see firsthand what developers are doing to the island and it is awful.
But seeing all this firsthand mainly gives a more detailed confirmation of the impression they already had.
They'll witness firsthand the fact that the animal does not want to die.

Word Origin and History for firsthand

adj.

also first-hand, first hand, 1690s, from the image of the "first hand" as the source or origin of something.