fixed

American  

[fikst] / fɪkst /

adjective

1. fastened, attached, or placed so as to be firm and not readily movable; firmly implanted; stationary; rigid.

2. rendered stable or permanent, as color.

3. set or intent upon something; steadily directed.

   a fixed stare.

   Synonyms:

   firm, unvarying, steady, constant

4. definitely and permanently placed.

   a fixed buoy;

   a fixed line of defense.

5. not fluctuating or varying; definite.

   a fixed purpose.

6. supplied with or having enough of something necessary or wanted, as money.

7. coming each year on the same calendar date.

   Christmas is a fixed holiday, but Easter is not.

8. put in order.

9. Informal. arranged in advance privately or dishonestly.

   a fixed horse race.

10. Chemistry.

    1. (of an element) taken into a compound from its free state.

    2. nonvolatile, or not easily volatilized.

       a fixed oil.

11. Mathematics. (of a point) mapped to itself by a given function.

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fixed British  

/ fɪkst, ˈfɪksɪdlɪ /

adjective

1. attached or placed so as to be immovable

2. not subject to change; stable

   fixed prices

3. steadily directed

   a fixed expression

4. established as to relative position

   a fixed point

5. not fluctuating; always at the same time

   a fixed holiday

6. (of ideas, notions, etc) firmly maintained

7. (of an element) held in chemical combination

   fixed nitrogen

8. (of a substance) nonvolatile

9. arranged

10. astrology of, relating to, or belonging to the group consisting of the four signs of the zodiac Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, which are associated with stability Compare cardinal mutable

11. informal equipped or provided for, as with money, possessions, etc

12. informal illegally arranged

    a fixed trial

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Other Word Forms

• fixedly adverb
• fixedness noun
• semifixed adjective

Etymology

Origin of fixed

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; fix + -ed ²

Explanation

Something fixed is rigidly set or placed. A fixed point does not move, as in this quote: “She was his North Star, the fixed point round which his world turned” (from David Gemmell’s Fall of Kings). Anything described as fixed is unchangeable. A fixed rent can’t be raised by the landlord because it’s legally set at a certain amount. That’s handy if you have a fixed income –- one that stays the same every month no matter what. A fixed piece of wood is nailed to the wall. Fixed things are stable and constant. A fixed stare doesn’t look away. Fixed also means “mended” like if you fixed a broken chair before anyone sat.

Example Sentences

The plan introduced pre-assessed areas where large wind farms are strongly supported and removed fixed rules on turbine height and distance from homes, instead relying on case-by-case judgement.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

"Everything is the same, rigid and fixed once it's fabricated. The brain is the opposite. It's heterogeneous, dynamic and three-dimensional. To move in that direction, we need new materials and new ways to build electronics."

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

In 1979, it significantly increased its rate on land to fund new city services while holding other taxes fixed.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

“The big systems need to be fixed, and he is doing that,” John Ferrari, a retired Army major general and fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said of Feinberg.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

She glanced at the people pushing around us on either side, then she fixed her eyes on me—hard.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• agreed
• certain
• defined
• definite
• definitive
• inflexible
• limited
• planned
• precise
• resolved
• restricted
• settled
• stated