firm

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Fairly hard and not easily pressed in or moved.

   I prefer sleeping on a firm mattress.

2. 2
   adj

   Strong and steady; not likely to change.

   She has a firm grip on the rope.

3. 3
   adj

   Definite and not going to be changed.

   We have a firm agreement to meet next week.

4. 4
   adv

   In a strong, determined way.

   He stood firm and refused to change his mind.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Firm meaning “not yielding to pressure” comes from Latin firmus. The business noun has the same ultimate root but reached its modern sense through Italian firma, “confirmed by signature,” which English borrowed in the late 16th century for a signature. It later denoted the name under which an organization traded and, by the late 18th century, the company itself.

From Italian firma (“signature”), from firmare (“to sign”), from Latin firmāre (“to make firm, to confirm (by signature)”), from firmus (“firm, stable”). The contemporary sense developed in the 18th century simultaneously with German Firma (“business, name of business”). There are conflicting statements in the literature as to which of the two languages influenced which. Doublet of dharma and dhamma. Other cognates include Russian держать (deržatʹ, “to hold”).

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary