firmament

noun

fir·​ma·​ment ˈfər-mə-mənt 

1

: the vault or arch of the sky : heavens

Stars twinkled in the firmament.

2

obsolete : basis

3

: the field or sphere of an interest or activity

the international fashion firmament

She's a rising star in the city's artistic firmament.

firmamental

ˌfər-mə-ˈmen-tᵊl 

adjective

Synonyms

• blue
• heaven(s)
• high
• sky
• welkin

Example Sentences

meteors flashing across the firmament

the stars in the firmament twinkled ever so brightly

Recent Examples on the Web

She’s been a beauty queen and an action hero, but now with the awards buzz of Everything Everywhere All at Once and that Avatar sequel on the horizon, Michelle Yeoh finds herself at the zenith of the Hollywood firmament. —Town & Country, 25 July 2022

For years, female executives occupied a rarefied place in the media firmament, posing for glossy magazine profiles with blowouts and baby bumps. —Jess Bergman, The New Republic, 20 Feb. 2023

In many ways, that’s true: Though the country’s wine firmament is divided into a seemingly approachable 20 different regions, there are countless appellations within them. —Brian Freedman, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023

But those who step beneath its low doorway stop in their tracks with gasps of wonder at the ceiling: 567 golden stars cascade down the cobalt-blue night sky, a gorgeous firmament intended to evoke the gateway to heaven above. —Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Jan. 2023

But amongst the drab, looming towers (in Warship Gray) and still-empty hotels (in Beaux Arts Beige) there shimmers a vivid firmament of pink ambrosia. —Jordan Michelman, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Dec. 2022

Rorty was more than two decades my senior and highly accomplished, one of the stars in the academic firmament. —Mark Edmundson, Harper’s Magazine , 12 Dec. 2022

Likewise for Lizzo, whose very strong album was a commercial disappointment but is assured a place in this firmament as well. —Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2022

To prove her point, Kenza worked with star brands from across the interior design firmament. —Charles Curkin, ELLE Decor, 30 Sep. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin firmamentum, from Latin, support, from firmare

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

firmament

noun

fir·​ma·​ment ˈfər-mə-mənt 

: the arch of the sky : heavens