Firsthand

/ˌfɜrstˈhænd/ adjective

Definition

Direct personal experience or knowledge of something, without hearing it from someone else.

Etymology

'First' and 'hand' combined—literally 'from the first hand,' meaning directly from the source. The term evolved from the idea that information passed through fewer hands means less distortion.

Kelly Says

When information passes through multiple people, each person can change it slightly—like the game of telephone. Firsthand experience cuts out all the middle people, which is why eyewitness accounts seem more powerful.

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