# firmly

Pronunciation: say "FURM-lee" US /ˈfɝmli/, UK /ˈfɜːmli/

## Adverb

1. In a strong, definite, or determined manner; with steadiness or resolve.
   - Simple: In a strong and steady way, without shaking or changing your mind.
   - _He gripped the steering wheel firmly as the road grew icy._
   - _The principal spoke firmly but kindly to the worried parents._
2. Securely; in a way that holds or fixes something in place so it does not move or come loose.
   - Simple: In a way that holds something in place so it cannot move or fall.
   - _The shelf is firmly anchored to the wall with heavy bolts._
   - _Check that the car seat is firmly attached before you start driving._
3. Definitively; in a settled or established way that is not likely to change.
   - Simple: In a way that is final and will not change.
   - _By the 1950s, television was firmly established as the dominant medium._
   - _The tradition is firmly rooted in the region's farming history._

## Origin

From Middle English fermely, equivalent to firm combined with the suffix -ly.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/firmly (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).