secondhand

1 of 4

adjective

sec·​ond·​hand ˈse-kən(d)-ˈhand How to pronounce secondhand (audio)
Synonyms of secondhandnext
1
a
: received from or through an intermediary : borrowed
b
: derivative
secondhand ideas
2
a
: acquired after being used by another : not new
secondhand books
b
: dealing in secondhand merchandise
a secondhand bookstore

secondhand

2 of 4

adverb

1
: at second hand : indirectly
heard about it secondhand
2
: as a secondhand item
bought the couch secondhand

second hand

3 of 4

noun (1)

ˌse-kən(d)-ˈhand How to pronounce second hand (audio)
: an intermediate person or means : intermediary
—usually used in the phrase at second hand

second hand

4 of 4

noun (2)

ˈsek-ən(d)-ˌhand How to pronounce second hand (audio)
: the hand marking seconds on a timepiece

Synonyms

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of secondhand in a Sentence

Adjective a dealer in secondhand furniture He's always haunting the secondhand shops for bargains.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Most of Johnson’s acquisitions came via the secondhand market: a shirt from a thrift store and a scarf from The RealReal. — Ana Colón, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2025 Worldwide, the secondhand apparel market value was estimated to be worth $197 billion U.S. — Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
Adverb
Sara Hillery, the founder of Sara Hillery Interior Design in Richmond, Virginia, likes to source these types of tables secondhand. — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2025 Kelly Riley, the founder of June Taylor in Lakeland, Florida, will source lots of her art books secondhand. — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2025
Noun
With his left leg moving to an invisible beat, Isbell wielded his right hand akin to the second hand of a clock, keeping steady time and brushing against strings with varying degrees of force to shape the sound. — Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025 The dial of a 36- to 38-millimeter watch usually showcases just the hour, minute and second hands, and possibly a simple date window. — Roberta Naas, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for secondhand

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1654, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1759, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of secondhand was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing secondhand

Rhymes for secondhand

See All Rhymes for secondhand

Browse Nearby Words

secondhand
second hand
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Secondhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secondhand. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

secondhand

1 of 2 adjective
sec·​ond·​hand
ˌsek-ən-ˈhand
1
: not original : taken from someone else
secondhand reports
2
a
: having had a previous owner
a secondhand car
b
: selling used goods
a secondhand store
secondhand adverb

second hand

2 of 2 noun
: the hand marking seconds on a timepiece

More from Merriam-Webster on secondhand

Nglish: Translation of secondhand for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
number-twelve-balloon
12-Letter Words Quiz A dozen words, a dozen letters each.
See All