firm

Meaning

Noun

1. (UK) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
2. A business enterprise, however organized.
3. (slang) A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.

Adj

1. Steadfast, secure, solid (in position)
2. Fixed (in opinion).
3. Insistent upon something, not accepting dissent.
4. Durable, rigid (material state).
5. Mentally resistant to hurt or stress.
6. Not frivolous or fallacious; trustworthy; solid; dependable.

Adv

firmly, steadily

Verb

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. (Australia, intransitive) To shorten (of betting odds).
6. (colloquial, transitive) To grit one's teeth and bear; to push through something unpleasant.
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.

Synonyms

solid

strong

hard

steady

company

stable

steadfast

resolute

fixed

stiff

enterprise

corporation

tight

determined

business

sturdy

concern

constant

tough

secure

unyielding

fast

establishment

durable

rigid

firmly

permanent

unshakable

robust

immovable

unwavering

stout

inflexible

sound

🔉

settled

staunch

unflinching

adamant

house

🏠

business firm

safe

stubborn

difficult

uncompromising

strict

consistent

stern

decisive

compact

definite

Translations

Firma

ferme

firme

solide

empresa

Unternehmen

fest

entreprise

firme

ditta

Gesellschaft

شركة

ferm

firma

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fɜɹm/

Etymology

Cognate with Russian: держать

Inherited from Middle English: ferme

Inherited from Middle English: fermen

In summary

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”).