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FIRMNESS
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I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The quality of being steady or securely and immovably fixed in place
Synonyms:
firmness; steadiness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("firmness" is a kind of...):
immovability; immovableness (not capable of being moved or rearranged)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "firmness"):
granite (something having the quality of granite (unyielding firmness))
sureness (the quality of being steady and unfailing)
stability; stableness (the quality or attribute of being firm and steadfast)
Derivation:
firm (securely fixed in place)
firm (not liable to fluctuate or especially to fall)
Sense 2
Meaning:
The trait of being resolute
Example:
it was his unshakeable resolution to finish the work
Synonyms:
firmness; firmness of purpose; resoluteness; resolution; resolve
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("firmness" is a kind of...):
trait (a distinguishing feature of your personal nature)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "firmness"):
possession; self-command; self-control; self-possession; self-will; will power; willpower (the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior)
steadiness (freedom from wavering or indecision; constancy of resolve or conduct)
sturdiness (resoluteness evidenced by strength of character)
stiffness (firm resoluteness in purpose or opinion or action)
bullheadedness; obstinacy; obstinance; pigheadedness; self-will; stubbornness (resolute adherence to your own ideas or desires)
single-mindedness (characterized by one unified purpose)
adamance; obduracy; unyieldingness (resoluteness by virtue of being unyielding and inflexible)
decision; decisiveness (the trait of resoluteness as evidenced by firmness of character or purpose)
determination; purpose (the quality of being determined to do or achieve something; firmness of purpose)
steadfastness (steadfast resolution)
Derivation:
firm (unwavering in devotion to friend or vow or cause)
firm (marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable)
Sense 3
Meaning:
The property of being unyielding to the touch
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("firmness" is a kind of...):
hardness (the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale)
Derivation:
firm (not soft or yielding to pressure)
Sense 4
Meaning:
The muscle tone of healthy tissue
Example:
his muscular firmness
Synonyms:
firmness; soundness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("firmness" is a kind of...):
strength (the property of being physically or mentally strong)
Derivation:
firm (possessing the tone and resiliency of healthy tissue)
Context examples:
His frank acceptance of the situation marks him as either an innocent man, or else as a man of considerable self-restraint and firmness.
(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
And yet when Utterson remarked on his ill looks, it was with an air of great firmness that Lanyon declared himself a doomed man.
(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)
At times, too, when the wild fit was upon her, she would break into pertness and rebel openly against Alleyne's gentle firmness.
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
So, with Spartan firmness, the young authoress laid her first-born on her table, and chopped it up as ruthlessly as any ogre.
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
But Elizabeth had now recollected herself, and making a strong effort for it, was able to assure with tolerable firmness that the prospect of their relationship was highly grateful to her, and that she wished her all imaginable happiness.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
I was struck with a profound veneration at the sight of Brutus, and could easily discover the most consummate virtue, the greatest intrepidity and firmness of mind, the truest love of his country, and general benevolence for mankind, in every lineament of his countenance.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
I belong to a family remarkable, I believe, for some firmness; and I am not the creature of circumstance or change.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
True, there were lines, but they were the lines of decision and firmness.
(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)
Again I rose, and exerting all the firmness of which I was master, removed the planks which I had placed before my hovel to conceal my retreat.
(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
The fairness of your friend was an open attraction; her firmness, you know, could only be understood by yourself.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
