by experiencing, seeing, etc. sth yourself rather than being told about it by sb else :
The President visited the area to see the devastation at first hand.
by experiencing, seeing, etc. sth yourself rather than being told about it by sb else :
The President visited the area to see the devastation at first hand.
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005