Meaning of firm In English

• 0 not soft but not completely hard:

  • I'd rather sleep on a firm mattress than a soft one.

  • These pears are still too firm to eat.

• 1 well fixed in place or position:

  • The bridge provided a firm platform for the bungee jumpers.

  • The government remains firm in its opposition to tax reform.

• 2 strong and tight:

  • a firm handshake

  • Keep a firm hold of the handrail as you go down.

  • figurative No one seems to have a firm grip on the company at the moment.

  • figurative You need a firm grasp of mathematics to become an astronaut.

• 3 certain and not likely to change:

  • He is a firm believer in traditional family values.

  • Some people still claim that there is no firm evidence linking smoking with lung cancer.

• 4 forceful and making people do what you want:

  • I was always very firm with my children - they knew the rules and I made sure they followed them.

• 5 a company offering a professional service, for example a company of lawyers:

  • He works for a law firm called Neil and Vigliano.

  • She's just started working for an accounting firm.

  • a firm of solicitors/accountants/architects

  • She works for a local firm that makes medical equipment.

  • This new tax will put a lot of small firms out of business.

  • The Firm is an unofficial nickname that dates back to the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI.

  • The Firm refers to the business side of the Royal Family and is generally used to describe the institution of Buckingham Palace, which includes senior courtiers and advisers.

• 6 a group of violent supporters of a football team who organize or try to start fights with supporters of other teams:

  • Millwall and West Ham had had firms for 30 years, so it's hardly surprising there was violence.

• 7 to make soil harder by pressing on it:

  • Firm the soil around the cuttings and water them in.

• 8 to stop changing or to remain at the same level, amount, etc.:

  • After a turbulent week on the markets, share prices firmed today.

• 9 set in place and unable or unlikely to move, come loose, or fall over:

  • The rocks were wet, and we couldn’t get a firm footing.

  • fig. Sometimes it takes more courage to admit you’re wrong than to stand firm (= continue to defend an opinion).

  • fig. The dean is holding firm and refusing to give in to student demands.

• 10 not soft when pressed; solid or strong:

  • a firm mattress

  • a firm body

  • fig. No one seems to have a firm grip on (= be in control of) the situation at the moment.

• 11 certain or fixed in a belief, opinion, etc., and unlikely to change, or so certain as to be beyond doubt or question:

  • a firm believer in the Constitution

  • They made a firm commitment to complete the job this week.

  • The decision is firm – there will be a strike.

  • A new teacher has to be firm with her students.

• 12 a company or business:

  • a law firm

• 13 a company or business:

  • The firm's share price has been rising steadily.

  • The firm remains heavily dependent on North America, its biggest market.

  • big/medium-sized/small firm Small and medium-sized firms accounted for 69.8% of the UK business population.

  • leading/major/top firm He hired a top firm of architects and re-mortgaged the family home to finance the project.

  • accounting/law/manufacturing, etc. firm Local manufacturing firms are under heavy competitive pressure, often from off-shore production.

  • set up/start (up)/establish a firm Her grandfather had set up the firm soon after the war.

  • run/manage a firm The firm was run from an office in Bolton.

  • She joined the family firm soon after leaving school.

• 14 agreed or decided and not likely to change:

  • firm date/deadline I was given a firm deadline of April 30.

  • firm bid/commitment The group said it has a firm commitment to sell two radio stations in Chicago to minority partners.

  • firm order/offer They already have firm orders for much of the new stock.

  • firm decision We haven't made a firm decision as yet.

• 15 used to describe a price or level that is high and is likely to rise or stay high:

  • Home prices are edging higher as builders pay record prices for lumber, and tight supplies should keep prices firm next year.

• 16 to remain at a high level:

  • Top share prices held firm through to the close, with the main index up 27.8.

• 17 to remain at the same level, amount, etc. or to rise slightly:

  • In industries such as paper, chemicals, and steel, prices have firmed.

  • firm to sth Copper firmed 1.8 cents to 142.1 cents a pound.

  • firm against sth The dollar, meanwhile, firmed against the euro in the wake of the interest rate rise.

  • Bank shares firmed on expectations that the Reserve Bank would leave interest rates untouched.