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firmly

 - 4 dictionary results

firm

1  [furm] adjective, -er, -est, verb, adverb, -er, -est.
Use firmly in a Sentence
–adjective
1. not soft or yielding when pressed; comparatively solid, hard, stiff, or rigid: firm ground; firm texture.
2. securely fixed in place.
3. not shaking or trembling; steady: a firm voice.
4. not likely to change; fixed; settled; unalterable: a firm belief.
5. steadfast or unwavering, as persons or principles: firm friends.
6. indicating firmness or determination: a firm expression.
7. not fluctuating much or falling, as prices, values, etc.: The stock market was firm today.
–verb (used with object)
8. to make firm; tighten or strengthen (sometimes fol. by up): to firm up one's hold on something.
9. to steady or fix (sometimes fol. by up): to firm up prices.
–verb (used without object)
10. to become firm or fixed (sometimes fol. by up): Butter firms by churning.
11. (of prices, markets, etc.) to recover; become stronger, as after a decline (sometimes fol. by up): Stock prices firmed again today.
–adverb
12. firmly: He stood firm.
Origin:
1300–50; < L firmus; r. ME ferm < MF < L

Related forms:
firmly, adverb
firmness, noun

Synonyms:
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.

Antonyms:
1. yielding, soft.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To firmly
firm 1   (fûrm)   
adj.   firm·er, firm·est

  1. Resistant to externally applied pressure.

  2. Marked by or indicating the tone and resiliency of healthy tissue: firm muscles.

  3. Securely fixed in place: Despite being hit by the car, the post was still firm.

  4. Indicating or possessed of determination or resolution: a firm voice.

  5. Constant; steadfast: a firm ally.

    1. Not subject to change; fixed and definite: a firm bargain; a firm offer.

    2. Unfluctuating; steady: Stock prices are still firm.

  7. Strong and sure: a firm grasp.

tr. & intr.v.   firmed, firm·ing, firms
To make or become firm. Often used with up.
adv.   firmer, firmest
Without wavering; resolutely: stand firm.

[Middle English ferm, from Old French, from Latin firmus; see dher- in Indo-European roots.]
firm'ly adv., firm'ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

firm  (adj.)
c.1378, from O.Fr. ferme, from L. firmus "firm, stable," from PIE base *dher(e)- "to hold, support" (cf. Skt. dharmah "custom, law," Gk. thronos "seat," Lith. dirzmas "strong," Welsh dir "hard," Breton dir "steel"). The return in late 1500s to -i- from M.E. ferme was modeled on the L.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: firm
Function: noun
Etymology: German Firma, from Italian, signature, ultimately from Latin firmare to make firm, confirm
1 : the name or title under which a company transacts business
2 : a partnership of two or more persons that is not recognized as a legal person distinct from the members composing it
3 : a business unit or enterprise
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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