secondhand

[ sek-uhnd-hand ]

adjective

1. not directly known or experienced; obtained from others or from books:

   Most of our knowledge is secondhand.

2. previously used or owned:

   secondhand clothes.

3. dealing in previously used goods:

   a secondhand bookseller.

adverb

1. after another user or owner:

   He bought it secondhand.

2. indirectly; at second hand:

   He heard the news secondhand.

Other Words From

• second·handed·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of secondhand¹

First recorded in 1645–55; second ¹ + hand

Example Sentences

At PolitiFact, Jeff Cercone assigned Trump’s assertion a “Pants on Fire” rating on the site’s “Truth-o-Meter,” noting that the claim “appears to stem from an unverified secondhand Facebook post.”

From Slate

Antique malls, consignment stores, flea markets, thrift stores and vintage shops: L.A. has it all when it comes to shopping for secondhand furniture.

From Los Angeles Times

Comedy Central and some secondhand smoke helped seal the deal.

From Los Angeles Times

The Mammoth Gear Exchange, a secondhand sporting goods shop on a corner of Bishop’s main intersection, is a local landmark and regular haunt for climbers.

From Los Angeles Times

She adds that one of her favorite things is getting secondhand therapy from other people.

From Los Angeles Times