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Webster 1913 Edition

Firm

Firm

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Firmer
;
sup
erl.
Firmest
.]
[OE.
ferme
, F.
ferme
, fr.L.
firmus
; cf. Skr.
dharman
support, law, order,
dh[GREEK]
to hold fast, carry. Cf.
Farm
,
Throne
.]
1.
Fixed; hence, closely compressed; compact; substantial; hard; solid; – applied to the matter of bodies;
as,
firm
flesh;
firm
muscles,
firm
wood.
2.
Not easily excited or disturbed; unchanging in purpose; fixed; steady; constant; stable; unshaken; not easily changed in feelings or will; strong;
as, a
firm
believer; a
firm
friend; a
firm
adherent.
Under spread ensigns, moving nigh, in slow
But
firm
battalion.
Milton.
By one man’s
firm
obediency fully tried.
Milton.
3.
Solid; – opposed to fluid;
as,
firm
land
.
Syn. – Compact; dense; hard; solid; stanch; robust; strong; sturdly; fixed; steady; resolute; constant.

Firm

,
Noun.
[It.
firma
the (firm, sure, or confirming) signature or subscription, or Pg.
firma
signature, firm, cf. Sp.
firma
signature; all fr. L.
firmus
, adj., firm. See
Firm
,
Adj.
]
The name, title, or style, under which a company transacts business; a partnership of two or more persons; a commercial house;
as, the
firm
of Hope & Co.

Firm

,
Verb.
T.
[OE.
fermen
to make firm, F.
fermer
, fr. L.
firmare
to make firm. See
Firm
,
Adj.
]
1.
To fix; to settle; to confirm; to establish.
[Obs.]
And Jove has
firmed
it with an awful nod.
Dryden.
2.
To fix or direct with firmness.
[Obs.]
He on his card and compass
firms
his eye.
Spenser.

Webster 1828 Edition

Firm

FIRM

,
Adj.
ferm. [L. firmus. This is the root of L. ferrum, iron.]
1.
Properly, fixed; hence, applied to the matter of bodies, it signifies closely compressed; compact; hard; solid; as firm flesh; firm muscles; some species of wood are more firm than others; a cloth of firm texture.
2.
Fixed; steady; constant; stable; unshaken; not easily moved; as a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent or supporter; a firm man, or a man of firm resolution.
3.
Solid; not giving way; opposed to fluid; as firm land.

FIRM

,
Noun.
ferm. A partnership or house; or the name or title under which a company transact business; as the firm of Hope & Co.

FIRM

,
Verb.
T.
ferm. [L. firmo.] To fix; to settle; to confirm; to establish.
And Jove has firm'd it with an awful nod.
This word is rarely used, except in poetry. In prose, we use confirm.

Definition 2024

firm

firm

See also: Firm.

English

Noun

firm ‎(plural firms)

  1. (Britain, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
  2. (business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.
    • 2013 June 1, “End of the peer show”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 71:
      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 “democratisation of finance”.
  3. (slang) A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.
Translations

Etymology 2

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

Adjective

firm ‎(comparative firmer, superlative firmest)

  1. steadfast, secure, hard (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
    • He was firm that selling his company would a good choice and didn't let anyone talk him out of it.
    • 2012 May 9, John Percy, “Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report”, in the Telegraph:
      With such constant off-field turmoil Hughton’s work has been remarkable and this may have been his last game in charge. West Bromwich Albion, searching for a replacement for Roy Hodgson, are firm admirers.
  3. solid, rigid (material state)
    firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood; firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

firm ‎(third-person singular simple present firms, present participle firming, simple past and past participle firmed)

  1. (transitive) To make firm or strong; fix securely.
  2. (transitive) To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.
  3. (intransitive) To become firm; stabilise.
  4. (intransitive) To improve after decline.
  5. (intransitive, Australia) To shorten (of betting odds).
Translations

Anagrams

Polish

Noun

firm f

  1. genitive plural of firma

Etymology

From German Firma ‎(“business, name of business”), from Italian firma ‎(“signature”), from firmare ‎(“to sign”), from Latin firmare ‎(“to make firm, to confirm (by signature)”), from firmus ‎(“firm, stable”).

Pronunciation

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