firm

English

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Etymology 1

From German Firma (“business", "name of business”), from Italian firma (“signature”), from firmare (“to sign”), from Latin firmare (“to make firm", "to confirm (by signature)”), from firmus (“firm", "stable”); possibly conflated with Medieval Latin firma (“farmed office, source of revenue”), from Old English feorm (“food, rent, tribute”). More at farm.

Noun

firm (plural firms)

1. (UK, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
2. (business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.
3. (slang) A criminal gang

Translations

business or company

Arabic: شركة تجارية (ar) f. Bosnian: firma (bs) f. Chinese: trad. 企業, simpl. 企业 (pinyin: qǐyè) Czech: firma (cs) f. German: Firma (de) f. Greek: εταιρία (el) (etairía) f., επιχείρηση (el) (epicheìrisi) f.

Manx: colught (gv) m. Polish: firma (pl) f. Russian: фирма (ru) (fírma) f. Serbian: tvrtka (sr) Volapük: fiam (vo)

Etymology 2

Middle English ferme, from Old French ferme, from Latin firmus = (strong, steady)

Adjective

firm (comparative firmer, superlative firmest)

1. steadfast, secure, hard (in position)
   • It's good to have a firm grip when shaking hands.
2. fixed (in opinion)
   • He was firm that selling his company would a good choice and didn't let anyone talk him out of it.
3. solid, rigid (material state)

Derived terms

• firm up
• firmish
• firmly
• firmness
• firmware

Translations

steadfast, secure (position)

Estonian: kindel (et) Greek: σταθερός (el) (statherós) m., στιβαρός (el) (stivarós) m.

Latin: firmus (la) m. Scottish Gaelic: cunbhalach (gd), seasmhach (gd)

fixed (in opinions)

Czech: nepoddajný (cs) Estonian: veendunud (et) Greek: αμετακίνητος (el) (ametakínitos) m., ακράδαντος (el) (akrádantos) m.

Latin: firmus (la) Scottish Gaelic: seasmhach (gd)

solid, rigid (material state)

Czech: tvrdý (cs), pevný (cs) German: fest (de)

Greek: στέρεος (el) (stéreos) m., στερεός (el) (stereós) m., γερός (el) (gerós) m. Latin: firmus (la)

Verb

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) Aust. To shorten (of betting odds).

Translations

to make firm or strong

Czech: upevnit (cs) Finnish: lujittaa (fi)

Greek: σταθεροποιώ (el) (statheropoió)

to fix securely

Finnish: varmistaa (fi), kiinnittää (fi) lujasti (fi)

Greek: στερεώνω (el) (stereóno)

to solidify

Finnish: lujittaa (fi)

Greek: στερεώνω (el) (stereóno)

to become firm

Czech: ztvrdnout (cs) Finnish: lujittua (fi)

Greek: σταθεροποιούμαι (el) (statheropoioúmai), στεριώνω (el) (sterióno)

to improve after decline

Finnish: vahvistua (fi)

Greek: σταθεροποιούμαι (el) (statheropoioúmai)

Australian, betting: to shorten — see shorten

Anagrams

• fMRI
• frim, FRIM

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Polish

Noun

firm f.

1. genitive plural of firma