firmness
/ˈfɜːmnəs/FURM-nuhs
/ˈfɝmnəs/FURM-nuhs
Meaningthe state of being firm
Common meaning: steadiness
Other meanings: strictness
- firmfirm, steadyLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 753 · scan
- nessnoun ending: the state of being
Journey through time
- Latinfirmus‘firm, steady’
- Frenchferme
- Middle Englishfermesource
- Englishfirm‘solid’
- Englishformed in English from firmfirmness‘steadiness’ · today
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from firm + -ness.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), FIRM, p.209 · scan
Roots
- firmus Latin “firm, steady”
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