firm

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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”).

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
• Bulgarian: фирма (bg) (firma) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 企業 (cmn), 企业 (cmn) (qǐyè), 事務所 (cmn), 事务所 (cmn) (shìwùsuǒ)

• Czech: firma (cs) f
• Finnish: yritys (fi)
• German: Firma (de) f
• Greek: εταιρία (el) (etairía) f, επιχείρηση (el) (epicheìrisi) f
• Icelandic: firma (is) f, fyrirtæki (is) n

• Irish: comhlacht (ga) m
• Manx: colught (gv) m
• Polish: firma (pl) f
• Russian: фирма (ru) (fírma) f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: твртка (sh), фирма (sh) f

  Roman: tvrtka (sh) f, firma (sh) f

• 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.
   • 2012 May 9, John Percy, “Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report”, the Telegraph:

     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. solid, rigid (material state)

Derived terms

• firm up
• firmish
• firmly
• firmness
• firmware

Translations

steadfast, secure (position)

• Bulgarian: стабилен (bg) (stabilen)
• Estonian: kindel (et)
• Finnish: vakaa (fi), vankka (fi)
• Greek: σταθερός (el) (statherós) m, στιβαρός (el) (stivarós) m

• Irish: diongbháilte (ga)
• Latin: firmus (la) m
• Scottish Gaelic: cunbhalach (gd), seasmhach (gd)

fixed (in opinions)

• Bulgarian: твърд (bg) (tvǎrd), неотстъпчив (bg) (neotstǎpčiv)
• Czech: nepoddajný (cs)
• Estonian: veendunud (et)
• Finnish: vakuuttunut (fi)
• Greek: αμετακίνητος (el) (ametakínitos) m, ακράδαντος (el) (akrádantos) m

• Italian: ferreo (it)
• Latin: firmus (la)
• Scottish Gaelic: seasmhach (gd)

solid, rigid (material state)

• Bulgarian: твърд (bg) (tvǎrd), корав (bg) (korav)
• Czech: tvrdý (cs), pevný (cs)
• Finnish: vankka (fi), luja (fi), tukeva (fi)
• German: fest (de)

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

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Jèrriais: fèrme

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

• Bulgarian: втвърдявам (bg) (vtvǎrdjavam)
• Czech: upevnit (cs)

• Finnish: lujittaa (fi)
• Greek: σταθεροποιώ (el) (statheropoió)

to fix securely

• Bulgarian: закрепвам (bg) (zakrepvam), фиксирам (bg) (fiksiram)
• Finnish: varmistaa (fi), kiinnittää (fi) lujasti (fi)

• Greek: στερεώνω (el) (stereóno)

to solidify

• Bulgarian: втвърдявам (bg) (vtvǎrdjavam)
• Finnish: lujittaa (fi)

• Greek: στερεώνω (el) (stereóno)

to become firm

• Bulgarian: втвърдявам се (bg) (vtvǎrdjavam se)
• 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