firm

• (General American) IPA^(key): /fɜɹm/, [fɝm]

  • Audio (US)

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• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fɜːm/

  • Audio (UK)

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• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)m

From Italian firma (“signature”), from firmare (“to sign”), from Latin firmare (“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.

firm (plural firms)

1. (Britain, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
2. (business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.
   • 2013 June 1, “End of the peer show”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 71:

     Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms. […] Banks and credit-card firms are kept out of the picture. Talk to enough people in the field and someone is bound to mention the “democratisation of finance”.

3. (slang) A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.

Middle English ferme, from Old French ferme, from Latin firmus (“strong, steady”).

firm (comparative firmer, superlative firmest)

1. steadfast, secure, solid (in position)

   It's good to have a firm grip when shaking hands.

2. fixed (in opinion)

   a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent

   • He was firm that selling his company would a good choice and didn't let anyone talk him out of it.
   • 2012 May 9, John Percy, “Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report”, in the Telegraph‎:

     With such constant off-field turmoil Hughton’s work has been remarkable and this may have been his last game in charge. West Bromwich Albion, searching for a replacement for Roy Hodgson, are firm admirers.

3. durable, rigid (material state)

   firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood; firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)

firm (third-person singular simple present firms, present participle firming, simple past and past participle firmed)

1. (transitive) To make firm or strong; fix securely.
2. (transitive) To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.
3. (intransitive) To become firm; stabilise.
4. (intransitive) To improve after decline.
5. (intransitive, Australia) To shorten (of betting odds).
6. (transitive, Britain, slang) To select (a higher education institution) as one's preferred choice, so as to enrol automatically if one's grades match the conditional offer.

• Firm in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

• FRIM, fMRI, frim

From Latin firmus.

• IPA^(key): /fɪʁm/

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firm (comparative firmer, superlative am firmsten)

1. (somewhat dated) experienced, well versed

• firm in Duden online

firm f

1. genitive plural of firma