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• Firm — or The Firm can have several meanings:*Any business entity such as a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship. This more general meaning is used in macroeconomics (in terms such as ideal firm size). *The word firm is sometimes used in a… …   Wikipedia

• firm — adj Firm, hard, solid are comparable chiefly as meaning having a texture or consistency that markedly resists deformation by external force. Firm (opposed to loose, flabby) suggests such closeness or compactness of texture or a consistency so… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

• Firm — Firm, a. [Compar. {Firmer}; superl. {Firmest}.] [OE. ferme, F. ferme, fr.L. firmus; cf. Skr. dharman support, law, order, dh? to hold fast, carry. Cf. {Farm}, {Throne}.] 1. Fixed; hence, closely compressed; compact; substantial; hard; solid;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• firm — firm1 [fʉrm] adj. [ME ferm < OFr < L firmus < IE base * dher , to hold, support > Sans dhárma, precept, law, Gr thronos, armchair] 1. not yielding easily under pressure; solid; hard 2. not moved or shaken easily; fixed; stable 3.… …   English World dictionary

• firm — Ⅰ. firm [1] ► ADJECTIVE 1) having an unyielding surface or structure. 2) solidly in place and stable. 3) having steady power or strength: a firm grip. 4) showing resolute determination. 5) fixed or definite: firm plans …   English terms dictionary

• Firm — Firm, n. [It. firma the (firm, sure, or confirming) signature or subscription, or Pg. firma signature, firm, cf. Sp. firma signature; all fr. L. firmus, adj., firm. See {Firm}, a.] The name, title, or style, under which a company transacts… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• Firm — Firm, v. t. [OE. fermen to make firm, F. fermer, fr. L. firmare to make firm. See {Firm}, a.] 1. To fix; to settle; to confirm; to establish. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] And Jove has firmed it with an awful nod. Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. To fix or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• firm — [adj1] inflexible close, close grained, compact, compressed, concentrated, concrete, condensed, congealed, dense, fine grained, hard, hardened, heavy, impenetrable, impermeable, impervious, inelastic, jelled, nonporous, refractory, rigid, set,… …   New thesaurus

• firm — Adj erw. fremd. Erkennbar fremd (18. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus l. fīrmus fest, sicher, stark , wohl in Anlehnung an ne. firm.    Ebenso ne. firm. Hierzu unmittelbar firmen, zu dessen lateinischem Vorbild auch Firma und Firmament gehören; ein… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

• firm — adverb is used mainly in two fixed expressions, to stand firm and to hold firm to. In all other contexts the natural adverbial form is firmly: The bracket was firmly fixed to the wall …   Modern English usage