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firm

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firm¹

  • /fɜːm/ Australia, UK
  • /fɜɹm/ US
  • [fɚm] US
  • /fɪɾm/ Scotland
  • /føːm/ New Zealand, Wales
  • /feːm/
  • /fɛːm/

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)m

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Latin firmoder.

Italian firmarebf.

Italian firmabor.

English firm

From Italian firma (“signature”), from firmare (“to sign”), from Latin firmāre (“to make firm, to confirm (by signature)”), from firmus (“firm, stable”). The contemporary sense developed in the 18th century simultaneously with German Firma (“business, name of business”). There are conflicting statements in the literature as to which of the two languages influenced which. Doublet of dharma and dhamma. Other cognates include Russian держать (deržatʹ, “to hold”).

noun firms

  1. UK A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
  2. A business enterprise, however organized. Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms.[…]Banks and credit-card firms are kept out of the picture. Talk to enough people in the field and someone is bound to mention the
  3. slang A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.

firm²

  • /fɜːm/ Australia, UK
  • /fɜɹm/ US
  • [fɚm] US
  • /fɪɾm/ Scotland
  • /føːm/ New Zealand, Wales
  • /feːm/
  • /fɛːm/

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)m

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Medieval Latin firma

Medieval Latin fermader.

Old French fermebor.

Middle English ferme

English firm

Inherited from Middle English ferme, borrowed from Old French ferme, from Medieval Latin ferma.

From Middle English ferme, from Old French ferme, from Latin firmus (“strong, steady”). Doublet of dharma.

adjective firmer · firmest

  1. Steadfast, secure, solid (in position) It's good to have a firm grip when shaking hands.
  2. Fixed (in opinion). a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent
  3. Insistent upon something, not accepting dissent. He wanted to stay overnight, but I was firm with him and said he had to leave today.
  4. Durable, rigid (material state). firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood; firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)
  5. Mentally resistant to hurt or stress. […] The life that almost dies in me: That dies not, but endures with pain, ⁠And slowly forms the firmer mind, ⁠Treasuring the look it cannot find, The words that are not heard again.
  6. Not frivolous or fallacious; trustworthy; solid; dependable. Although facilitators of the workshop for lesbians and bisexual women attempted to address the concerns of lesbians, little firm information emerged.

Similar: decided

adverb more firm · most firm

  1. archaic firmly, steadily stand firm

firm³

  • /fɜːm/ Australia, UK
  • /fɜɹm/ US
  • [fɚm] US
  • /fɪɾm/ Scotland
  • /føːm/ New Zealand, Wales
  • /feːm/
  • /fɛːm/

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)m

Where it comes from

From Middle English fermen (“to make firm”), partly from (either through Old French fermer or directly) Latin firmō, from firmus (“firm”, adjective), and partly a new formation on the adjective.

verb firms · firming · firmed

  1. transitive To make firm or strong; fix securely. Stolz said the move by ClubsNSW had only firmed his resolve to keep fighting for the right to disclose information in the public interest about money laundering in registered clubs.
  2. transitive To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.
  3. intransitive To become firm; stabilise.
  4. intransitive To improve after decline.
  5. Australia, intransitive To shorten (of betting odds).
  6. colloquial, transitive To grit one's teeth and bear; to push through something unpleasant. I know you aren't feeling well, but just firm it.
  7. UK, slang, transitive To select (a higher education institution) as one's preferred choice, so as to enrol automatically if one's grades match the conditional offer.

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