Origin of firm
1
1300–50; < Latin
firmus; replacing Middle English
ferm < Middle French < Latin
SYNONYMS FOR firm
1
Firm,
hard,
solid,
stiff are applied to substances that tend to retain their form unaltered in spite of pressure or force.
Firm often implies that something has been brought from a yielding state to a fixed or elastic one:
An increased amount of pectin makes jellies firm.
Hard is applied to substances so resistant that it is difficult to make any impression upon their surface or to penetrate their interior:
as hard as a stone.
Solid is applied to substances that without external support retain their form and resist pressure:
Water in the form of ice is solid. It sometimes denotes the opposite of hollow:
a solid block of marble.
Stiff implies rigidity that resists a bending force:
as stiff as a poker.
2 fast, stable, immovable.
4 established, confirmed.
5 determined, immovable, staunch, reliable.
OTHER WORDS FROM firm
firm·ly, adverb firm·ness, nounWords nearby firm
Example sentences from the Web for firmly
British Dictionary definitions for firmly (1 of 2)
firm
1
/ (fɜːm) /
adjective
adverb
in a secure, stable, or unyielding manner
he stood firm over his obligation to pay
verb
(sometimes foll by up)
to make or become firm
(intr) Australian horse racing
(of a horse) to shorten in odds
Derived forms of firm
firmly, adverb firmness, nounWord Origin for firm
C14: from Latin
firmus
British Dictionary definitions for firmly (2 of 2)
firm
2
/ (fɜːm) /
noun
a business partnership
any commercial enterprise
a team of doctors and their assistants
British slang
- a gang of criminals
- a gang of football hooligans
Word Origin for firm
C16 (in the sense: signature): from Spanish
firma signature, title of a partnership or business concern, from
firmar to sign, from Latin
firmāre to confirm, from
firmus firm