terra firma

American  

[ter-uh fur-muh] / ˈtɛr ə ˈfɜr mə /

noun

1. firm or solid earth; dry land (as opposed to water or air).

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terra firma British  

/ ˈfɜːmə /

noun

1. the solid earth; firm ground

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terra firma Cultural  

1. Dry land, as opposed to the sea: “After our stormy voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, we were relieved to set foot on terra firma.” From Latin, meaning “firm (or solid) ground.”

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Etymology

Origin of terra firma

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1595–1605

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

terra firma

But the fear was that it would happen in space, when you’re 180 miles from terra firma and the nearest fire station.

From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2025

That would only have been possible on terra firma, they say.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 30, 2024

This degeneration, along with reduced muscle mass, is why astronauts must be carried from their capsules when they return to terra firma after a long mission.

From New York Times ● Nov. 12, 2023

But he is made for the moment, having had a sympathetic history with the Skrulls, a shape-shifting race of interplanetary refugees, and back on terra firma.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2023

The contraption lay with its stomach on terra firma, heavy and sluggish and looking more like a wounded duck than like one of those newfangled airplanes they were starting to produce in the United States.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende