firm
1 Americanadjective
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not soft or yielding when pressed; comparatively solid, hard, stiff, or rigid.
firm ground;
firm texture.
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securely fixed in place.
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not shaking or trembling; steady.
a firm voice.
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not likely to change; fixed; settled; unalterable.
a firm belief.
- Synonyms:
- confirmed
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steadfast or unwavering, as persons or principles.
firm friends.
- Synonyms:
- reliable, staunch, immovable, determined
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indicating firmness or determination.
a firm expression.
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not fluctuating much or falling, as prices, values, etc..
The stock market was firm today.
verb (used with object)
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to make firm; tighten or strengthen (sometimes followed byup ).
to firm up one's hold on something.
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to steady or fix (sometimes followed byup ).
to firm up prices.
verb (used without object)
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to become firm or fixed (sometimes followed byup ).
Butter firms by churning.
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(of prices, markets, etc.) to recover; become stronger, as after a decline (sometimes followed byup ).
Stock prices firmed again today.
adverb
adjective
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not soft or yielding to a touch or pressure; rigid; solid
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securely in position; stable or stationary
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definitely established; decided; settled
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enduring or steady; constant
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having determination or strength; resolute
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(of prices, markets, etc) tending to rise
adverb
verb
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(sometimes foll by up) to make or become firm
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(intr) horse racing (of a horse) to shorten in odds
noun
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a business partnership
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any commercial enterprise
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a team of doctors and their assistants
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slang
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a gang of criminals
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a gang of football hooligans
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Related Words
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of firm1
First recorded in 1300–50; from Latin firmus; replacing Middle English ferm(e), from Middle French ferm(e), from Latin
Origin of firm2
First recorded in 1565–75; from Spanish firma “signature” (hence, legal name of a partnership), noun derivative of firmar “to sign,” from Latin firmāre “to strengthen, confirm,” derivative of firmus firm 1
Explanation
The adjective firm describes something that's strong and unwavering. If your great Aunt Martha had a firm belief that children should be seen and not heard, you and your siblings might have spent your childhood driving her crazy. Something that is solid can also be described as firm. When you take a stick of butter out of the fridge, it's firm, and it needs to soften before you cream it with sugar. Another definition for the adjective firm is unwavering or loyal. You might be a firm supporter of your favorite baseball team, even though they haven't made it to a World Series in more than twenty years.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At least $4 billion has gone into the foreign-exchange market, said Tamara Herrera, an economist at the Caracas banking consulting firm Sintesis Financiera.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
However, the company went on to source equity from elsewhere and when US equity firm TSG Consumer Partners acquired a 22% stake in Brewdog, they were given "preference shares".
From BBC • May 23, 2026
By Saturday morning, the temperature in the pressurized tank at an aerospace firm in Garden Grove was 90 degrees, up from 77 degrees a day earlier.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Increasingly, these families are gaining direct access to these deals through nimbler independent wealth management firms and RIAs, according to Joshua Becker, co-leader of law firm Pillsbury’s Private Client & Family Office practice.
From Barron's • May 23, 2026
With my green-gloved hand in his brawny one, I gave Mr. Pinkerton a firm shake and assured him that, indeed, I could.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
