secondhand

CEFRB1

/ˌsɛk(ə)n(d)ˈhænd/

adjective · adverb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Owned or used by someone else before.

  2. 02

    adverb

    Indirectly, through another person.

Examples

  • I came across this book in a secondhand bookstore.

  • Tom advised him not to buy the secondhand car.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
4

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Dealing in such merchandise.

  2. Indirect; from a secondary source; not firsthand.

  3. Not new; previously owned and used by another.

More examples

In context

  • exposure to secondhand smoke from cigarette-smoking colleagues

  • What's love got to do, got to do with it? / What's love but a secondhand emotion?

  • In the light of recent history it is somewhat curious that this decisive power of the professional secondhand dealers in ideas should not yet be more generally recognized.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Instead of buying new, she purchased a blank vehicle at a discount from a local dealer.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From second + hand.