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firm

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Firm.

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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    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”).

    Noun

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    firm (plural firms)

    1. (UK, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
    2. (business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:enterprise
      • 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.
    Derived terms
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    Translations
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    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Etymology 2

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

    Adjective

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    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
      firm favourites
      • 2012 May 9, John Percy, “Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report”, in the Telegraph‎[1]:
        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. Insistent upon something, not accepting dissent.
      He wanted to stay overnight, but I was firm with him and said he had to leave today.
    4. Durable, rigid (material state).
      firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood; firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)
      • 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 219:
        Biblical criteria of sexual seductiveness include a white skin, black hair, or henna-dyed, scarlet lips, a prominent nose, rosy temples, long straight neck, firm breasts, round thighs, an erect posture.
    5. Mentally resistant to hurt or stress.
      • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XVIII”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 30:
        […] The life that almost dies in me:
        That dies not, but endures with pain,
        ⁠And slowly forms the firmer mind,
        ⁠Treasuring the look it cannot find,
        The words that are not heard again.
    6. Not frivolous or fallacious; trustworthy; solid; dependable.
      • 1988 April 23, Elizabeth Pincus, “Moving To Meet The Needs Of Women In The Age Of AIDS”, in Gay Community News, page 7:
        Although facilitators of the workshop for lesbians and bisexual women attempted to address the concerns of lesbians, little firm information emerged.
      • 1999, Lucinda Dirven, The Palmyrenes of Dura-Europos:
        None of the Aramaic inscriptions from the Hellenistic and Roman period that are cited in support of this hypothesis that divine messengers are identified with their sender provide any firm proof to this respect.
    Synonyms
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    Derived terms
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    Translations
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    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Adverb

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    firm (comparative more firm, superlative most firm)

    1. (now rare) firmly, steadily
    Translations
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    Etymology 3

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    From Middle English fermen (“to make firm”), partly from (either through Old French fermer or directly) Latin firmō, from firmus (“firm”, adjective), and partly a new formation on the adjective.[1]

    Verb

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    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.
      • 2022 September 22, Harriet Alexander, “‘I’ve nothing to lose’: Dying whistleblower sued by ClubsNSW”, in Sydney Morning Herald‎[2]:
        Stolz said the move by ClubsNSW had only firmed his resolve to keep fighting for the right to disclose information in the public interest about money laundering in registered clubs.
    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, colloquial) To grit one's teeth and bear; to push through something unpleasant.
      I know you aren't feeling well, but just firm it.
    7. (transitive, UK, 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.
    Derived terms
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    Translations
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    References

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    1. ^ James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Firm (fə̄ɹm), v.”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume IV (F–G), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 248, column 3.

    Further reading

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    Anagrams

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    Chinese

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    Etymology 1

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    From English firm.

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    firm (Hong Kong Cantonese)

    1. (of muscles) firm; strong; solid
    2. firm; insistent; staunch
    3. (neologism) awesome; fantastic; amazing; terrific
    4. (neologism, of relationship between friends) close; intimate
    Derived terms
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    Noun

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    firm

    1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) firm; business (Classifier: 間／间 c)

    Etymology 2

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    Clipping of English confirm.

    Pronunciation

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    Verb

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    firm

    1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to confirm; to finalize

    Adjective

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    firm

    1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) sure; certain
    Derived terms
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    References

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    German

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from Latin firmus.

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    firm (strong nominative masculine singular firmer, comparative firmer, superlative am firmsten)

    1. (somewhat dated) experienced, well versed
      Synonyms: erfahren, bewandert
      • 1976 March 12, Heidi Dürr, “Kunstkenner per Post?”, in Die Zeit‎[10]:
        Er, der—laut Prospekt—wie alle Mitarbeiter “eine hohe fachliche Qualifikation” aufweist und die Gewähr dafür bietet, “daß Sie Ihr Studienziel erreichen, ein Kenner antiker Gegenstände zu werden”, ist nach eigener Aussage lediglich Fachmann für Malerei und Graphik. Auf anderen Gebieten sei er gar “nicht so firm”.
        (please add an English translation of this quotation)

    Declension

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    Positive forms of firm
    number & gender singular plural
    masculine feminine neuter
    predicative er ist firm sie ist firm es ist firm sie sind firm
    strong declension
    (without article)     		nominative firmer firme firmes firme
    genitive firmen firmer firmen firmer
    dative firmem firmer firmem firmen
    accusative firmen firme firmes firme
    weak declension
    (with definite article)     		nominative der firme die firme das firme die firmen
    genitive des firmen der firmen des firmen der firmen
    dative dem firmen der firmen dem firmen den firmen
    accusative den firmen die firme das firme die firmen
    mixed declension
    (with indefinite article)     		nominative ein firmer eine firme ein firmes (keine) firmen
    genitive eines firmen einer firmen eines firmen (keiner) firmen
    dative einem firmen einer firmen einem firmen (keinen) firmen
    accusative einen firmen eine firme ein firmes (keine) firmen
    Comparative forms of firm
    number & gender singular plural
    masculine feminine neuter
    predicative er ist firmer sie ist firmer es ist firmer sie sind firmer
    strong declension
    (without article)     		nominative firmerer firmere firmeres firmere
    genitive firmeren firmerer firmeren firmerer
    dative firmerem firmerer firmerem firmeren
    accusative firmeren firmere firmeres firmere
    weak declension
    (with definite article)     		nominative der firmere die firmere das firmere die firmeren
    genitive des firmeren der firmeren des firmeren der firmeren
    dative dem firmeren der firmeren dem firmeren den firmeren
    accusative den firmeren die firmere das firmere die firmeren
    mixed declension
    (with indefinite article)     		nominative ein firmerer eine firmere ein firmeres (keine) firmeren
    genitive eines firmeren einer firmeren eines firmeren (keiner) firmeren
    dative einem firmeren einer firmeren einem firmeren (keinen) firmeren
    accusative einen firmeren eine firmere ein firmeres (keine) firmeren
    Superlative forms of firm
    number & gender singular plural
    masculine feminine neuter
    predicative er ist am firmsten sie ist am firmsten es ist am firmsten sie sind am firmsten
    strong declension
    (without article)     		nominative firmster firmste firmstes firmste
    genitive firmsten firmster firmsten firmster
    dative firmstem firmster firmstem firmsten
    accusative firmsten firmste firmstes firmste
    weak declension
    (with definite article)     		nominative der firmste die firmste das firmste die firmsten
    genitive des firmsten der firmsten des firmsten der firmsten
    dative dem firmsten der firmsten dem firmsten den firmsten
    accusative den firmsten die firmste das firmste die firmsten
    mixed declension
    (with indefinite article)     		nominative ein firmster eine firmste ein firmstes (keine) firmsten
    genitive eines firmsten einer firmsten eines firmsten (keiner) firmsten
    dative einem firmsten einer firmsten einem firmsten (keinen) firmsten
    accusative einen firmsten eine firmste ein firmstes (keine) firmsten
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    Further reading

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    • “firm” in Duden online
    • “firm” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

    Polish

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    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    firm f

    1. genitive plural of firma

    Zoogocho Zapotec

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    Etymology 1

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    Borrowed from Spanish firma.

    Noun

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    firm

    1. signature
    Derived terms
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    Etymology 2

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    Borrowed from Spanish firme.

    Adjective

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    firm

    1. firm, fixed

    References

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    • Long C., Rebecca; Cruz M., Sofronio (2000), Diccionario zapoteco de San Bartolomé Zoogocho, Oaxaca (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 38)‎[11] (in Spanish), second electronic edition, Coyoacán, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 220
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