firm

noun

(UK, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.

(business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.

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

verb

(transitive) To make firm or strong; fix securely.

(transitive) To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.

(intransitive) To become firm; stabilise.

(intransitive) To improve after decline.

(intransitive, Australia) To shorten (of betting odds).

(transitive, colloquial) To grit one's teeth and bear; to push through something unpleasant.

(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.

adjective

Steadfast, secure, solid (in position)

Fixed (in opinion).

Insistent upon something, not accepting dissent.

Durable, rigid (material state).

Mentally resistant to hurt or stress.

Not frivolous or fallacious; trustworthy; solid; dependable.

adverb

(now rare) firmly, steadily

Roots

firmusfirm- · Latin · strong, firm

Synonyms for firm

steadfastadj unfalteringadj unwaveringadj unshakableadj solidadj companyn strongadj steadyadj stiffadj corporationn immobileadj resoluteadj conglomeraten unyieldingadj unshakenadj firmlyadv unswervingadj industryn

Synonyms & related words for firm

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of firm — including steadfast, unfaltering, unwavering, unshakable, solid, company. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to firm

Explore words related to firm — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include truehearted, tauten, consultancy, subsidiary, stockbroking, stockbrokerage, consulting, corporate. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for firm

Common synonyms for firm include steadfast, unfaltering, unwavering, unshakable, solid, company, strong, steady — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does firm come from?

The word firm breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root firm-, from Latin firmus (“strong, firm”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.