From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfirst-hand experience/knowledge/account etcfirst-hand experience/knowledge/account etcPERSONALLY/YOURSELFexperience etc that has been learned or gained by doing something yourself or by talking to someone yourself → second-hand journalists with first-hand experience of working in war zones → first-hand
Examples from the Corpus
first-hand experience/knowledge/account etc• At one time, physical presence was a prerequisite for first-hand experience.• International research tends to involve analyzing international data, rather than acquiring first-hand knowledge about international operations in other countries.• And now I know from first-hand experience it's the wrong approach.• This understanding needs to be informed, up-to-date and backed by first-hand experience, not based on hearsay or second-hand impressions.• Besides, the people of Waterloo had first-hand knowledge of the advantages of public ownership.• It reflects, often, a first-hand experience of the events it describes.• Millions of people across the world have first-hand experience of what it can do.• Their testimony on it represents crucial, first-hand experience of which those planning for the hospital-based sector must take significant account. 