firmament

American  

[fur-muh-muhnt] / ˈfɜr mə mənt /

noun

1. the vault of heaven; sky.

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firmament British  

/ ˈfɜːməmənt, ˌfɜːməˈmɛntəl /

noun

1. the expanse of the sky; heavens

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Other Word Forms

• firmamental adjective

Etymology

Origin of firmament

1250–1300; Middle English < Late Latin firmāmentum sky, Latin: support, prop, stay, equivalent to firmā ( re ) to strengthen, support ( firm ² ) + -mentum -ment

Example Sentences

Still, his place in the basketball firmament was long since secured.

From The Wall Street Journal

As the 19th Psalm puts it: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork.”

From Scientific American

But it has sometimes struggled to find its place in the television firmament, with scattered hits such as “Transparent” and “Fleabag” but not a consistent roster of successes.

From Washington Post

The marble idol was carved as many as 6,000 years ago, a 9-inch-tall female figure with a sleek, abstract form, its head tilted slightly upward as if staring into the firmament.

From New York Times

A great deal of “Places of Mind” is spent situating Said in a firmament of thinkers that includes Marx, Freud, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault and Noam Chomsky.

From New York Times