Firmly

//ˈfɝmli// adv

adv ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Adverb
  1. 1
    In a firm or definite or strong manner.

    "She corrected him firmly but gently."

  2. 2
    Securely.

    "Tie the rope firmly to the post."

  3. 3
    Definitively.

    "This was widely interpreted to mean that slavery was once more firmly illegal in England."

Adverb
  1. 1
    with resolute determination wordnet
  2. 2
    with firmness wordnet
  3. 3
    in a secure manner; in a manner free from danger wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
securelyunwaveringlyadamantlybec et onglesbona fideclose

Example

More examples

"We are firmly confident of victory."

Etymology

From Middle English fermely; equivalent to firm + -ly.

Related phrases

tongue firmly in cheek

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.