at second hand en · ADP
Meanings
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By an intermediary or by indirect means; usually relating to something heard, by hearsay.
Even devoted monarchists knew of her only at second hand, as a cipher, a still, small, largely silent, smiling figure, bound by her sense of duty and service, surrounded by turmoil and hubbub.
September 8 2022, Stephen Bates, “Queen Elizabeth II obituary”, in The Guardian:
Relateds
firsthand · hearsay · horse's mouth