firsthand.

Obtained through direct observation or participation rather than intermediaries.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• firsthand account
• firsthand knowledge

On the page

The diary provides a firsthand account of the evacuation.

Usage notes

Primary category: analysis / argumentation / evidence. Forms: Normally non-gradable; no ordinary comparative or superlative. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: evidence, inference, qualification. Commonness: moderately common.