firm

adjective

\ ˈfərm

Definition of firm

(Entry 1 of 4)

1a : securely or solidly fixed in place his teeth were firm

b : not weak or uncertain : vigorous a firm handshake

c : having a solid or compact structure that resists stress or pressure firm apples

2a(1) : not subject to change or revision a firm offer a firm date

(2) : not subject to price weakness : steady firm commodities

b : not easily moved or disturbed : steadfast a firm believer in democracy

c : well-founded firm evidence of criminal activity

3 : indicating firmness or resolution a firm mouth a firm voice

firm

adverb

Definition of firm (Entry 2 of 4)

: in a firm manner : steadfastly, fixedly

firm

verb

firmed; firming; firms

Definition of firm (Entry 3 of 4)

transitive verb

1a : to make secure or fast : tighten firming her grip on the racquet —often used with up

b : to make solid or compact firm the soil

2 : to put into final form : settle firm a contract firm up plans

3 : to give additional support to : strengthen —usually used with up

intransitive verb

1 : to become firm : harden —often used with up

2 : to recover from a decline : improve the market is firming

firm

noun

Definition of firm (Entry 4 of 4)

1 : the name or title under which a company transacts business

2 : a partnership of two or more persons that is not recognized as a legal person distinct from the members composing it

3 : a business unit or enterprise

Other Words from firm Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about firm

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Examples of firm in a Sentence

Adjective

She has a firm grasp of the basic principles. They insist on maintaining firm control over the project. He spoke to her in a soft but firm voice. The time has come for us to take a firm stand. The children need gentle but firm handling.

Noun

merged with another firm to become a major player in the brokerage business

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Post-treatment, my complexion had never looked better: My cheeks and jaw seemed firmer, my skin tone more even, and my everything was softer to the touch. — Maddy Zollo, Town & Country, "Hanacure: The Creepy Korean Facial Taking Over The Beauty World," 12 Nov. 2018 And both factory and services-sector activity were firm in November, according to purchasing-managers indexes compiled by the Institute for Supply Management. — Nick Timiraos, WSJ, "Fed Set to Raise Rates, Signal Slower Pace of Increases," 19 Dec. 2018 The crust should be firm but not teeth-crunching hard. — Joseph A. Gambardello, Philly.com, "Philly cheesesteak: Everything you need to know," 5 July 2018 The 11-inch pizzas feature a traditional Neapolitan crust (made with extra finely ground imported double-zero flour), but cooked to the point that the center is firm enough to handle by the slice, so the operation doesn’t require a fork and knife. — Courtney Dabney, star-telegram, "Parker County hadn't had a brewery since 1879. Then one opened this year," 26 June 2018 But the Netanyahu government, far from conciliatory, indicated that its resolve was as firm as ever. — Brian Goldstone, The New Republic, "Essential reporting, interpretation, and opinion on politics and culture. Don't miss our latest.," 26 June 2018 An easier way to check for doneness is with a fork; the salmon should be firm and easily flake apart. — Blake Bakkila, Health.com, "3 Easy Summer Campfire Recipes Your Entire Family Will Enjoy," 22 June 2018 Scott stood firm on perhaps the most contested change — none of the former task force members were allowed to return even though the weeks-long surveillance found no questionable actions by most of them. — Beth Warren, The Courier-Journal, "How a McDonald's receipt crippled an elite Louisville drug-fighting team," 18 June 2018 Unemployment for Central Florida stood firm at 3.1 percent, with Orange and Seminole counties leading the way at 2.9 percent each, Gov. Rick Scott’s office said. — Bill Zimmerman, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando jobs in May outlined by latest state data," 15 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Congratulations to Robyn Denholm, the new chairwoman of Tesla’s board! Denholm got her start at the now-defunct Arthur Andersen, the accounting firm best known for its work shredding Enron’s documents. — Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, "Tesla’s new chairwoman is walking into SEC and DOJ probes," 9 Nov. 2018 Invesco will pay for the deal with 81.9 million common shares and another $4 billion in preferred shares, making MassMutual the firm’s largest stockholder. — Justin Baer, WSJ, "Invesco to Buy OppenheimerFunds From MassMutual," 18 Oct. 2018 One of that firm’s biggest clients is a company helmed by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. — Matt Richardson, Fox News, "Michael Cohen-linked firm received big payments from Russian oligarch, report says," 9 May 2018 One of that firm’s biggest clients is a company helmed by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. — Matt Richardson, Fox News, "Michael Cohen-linked firm received big payments from Russian oligarch, report says," 9 May 2018 One of that firm’s biggest clients is a company helmed by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. — Matt Richardson, Fox News, "Michael Cohen-linked firm received big payments from Russian oligarch, report says," 9 May 2018 As part of the deal, Sammons became the firm’s largest shareholder. — Justin Baer And Margot Patrick, WSJ, "Guggenheim in Talks to Buy Munich Re Asset-Management Operations," 20 June 2018 One of that firm’s biggest clients is a company helmed by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. — Matt Richardson, Fox News, "Michael Cohen-linked firm received big payments from Russian oligarch, report says," 9 May 2018 One of that firm’s biggest clients is a company helmed by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. — Matt Richardson, Fox News, "Michael Cohen-linked firm received big payments from Russian oligarch, report says," 9 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Let the cobbler cool for about 30 minutes to firm up. — Rebekah Denn, The Seattle Times, "Food52.com writer Kristen Miglore’s book ‘Genius Desserts’ includes several sweet Seattle specialties," 27 Nov. 2018 The Helsinki summit was firmed up less than three weeks ago. — Gregory Korte, USA TODAY, "Trump's chaotic NATO summit raises stakes for Putin talks in Helsinki," 12 July 2018 Steering can be firmed up from comfort, to normal, to sport. — Robert Duffer, chicagotribune.com, "Tesla Model 3 just may be worth the wait," 19 Apr. 2018 Kepler mostly firmed up the fraction of stars that have planets. — Harrison Tasoff, Space.com, "NASA's TESS Satellite Will Supercharge Search for Nearby, Earth-Like Worlds," 15 Apr. 2018 Next add peas and shrimp and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, or until shrimp just begin to firm and turn pink. — Fox News, "Matt Moore's Romantic Valentine's Dinner," 11 Feb. 2011 Place the pie dish in the refrigerator to allow the dough to firm up. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "The Hot and Hearty Pie Recipes to Kick Off Autumn in Your Kitchen," 21 Sep. 2018 The United States and North Korea gave starkly contrasting reports Saturday at the end of two days of talks intended to firm up Pyongyang’s promise to dismantle its nuclear weapons systems. — Tracy Wilkinson, latimes.com, "North Korea accuses U.S. of making 'unilateral' demands in nuclear talks," 7 July 2018 USA TODAY Civil defense authorities in Hawaii were scrambling to firm up contingency plans after hot, powerful lava flowing from Hawaii's erupting Kilauea volcano reached the edge of a Big Island power plant. — John Bacon, USA TODAY, "Hawaii on edge as lava reaches power plant: 'No one has faced this before'," 22 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Chris Fogarty of New York firm Fogarty Finger also makes a strong argument for incorporating stained glass in an updated way. — Jennifer Fernandez, House Beautiful, "Why You Should Be Decorating With Stained Glass," 29 Dec. 2018 According to a new research report by the market research and strategy consulting firm, Global Market Insights, Inc., the market to launch commercial satellites will hit $7 billion by 2024, dwarfing the space tourism economy. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "The Virgin Galactic Hype Totally Misses the Point," 13 Dec. 2018 Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 2 weeks. — Kate Merker And Taylor Murray, Country Living, "Gingerbread-Chocolate Chunk No-Churn Ice Cream," 7 Dec. 2018 According to data from Amherst, a real estate investment firm, institutional investors purchases of single-family homes peaked at just under 80,000 in 2013. — Jeff Andrews, Curbed, "Single-family rental companies turn to Opendoor, Offerpad for new inventory," 3 Dec. 2018 Meadows and Jordan have the president’s ear and will almost certainly counsel Trump to stand firm and oppose any bill that doesn’t have wall funding. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "Republicans are trying to figure out what Trump wants to avoid a shutdown.," 20 Dec. 2018 Further Reading Report: Facebook let major tech firms access private messages, friends lists The attorney general of the District of Columbia has sued (PDF) Facebook, alleging violations of local consumer protection laws. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "DC sues Facebook over Cambridge Analytica scandal," 19 Dec. 2018 The once obvious distinction between white-shoe-firm lawyer and ambulance chaser is no longer so clear. — James Atlas, Town & Country, "The Year of the Celebrity Super Lawyer," 3 Dec. 2018 By New York real estate standards, Malcolm Carfrae–an Australian transplant and the founder of PR and marketing firms with a fashionable roster of clients, including DVF and Zimmermann—was fortunate. — Nick Sullivan, ELLE Decor, "A Snug New York Bachelor Pad Is Morphed Into a Swank and Spacious Home," 20 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'firm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.