different between firm vs institution

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /f??m/, [f?m]
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /f??m/
• Rhymes: -??(?)m

Etymology 1

From Italian firma (“signature”), from firmare (“to sign”), from Latin firmare (“to make firm, to confirm (by signature)”), from firmus (“firm, stable”). The contemporary sense developed in the 18th century simultaneously with German Firma (“business, name of business”). There are conflicting statements in the literature as to which of the two languages influenced which.

Noun

firm (plural firms)

1. (Britain, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
2. (business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.
3. (slang) A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.

Derived terms

• The Firm

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English ferme, from Old French ferme, from Latin firmus (“strong, steady”). Doublet of dharma.

Adjective

firm (comparative firmer, superlative firmest)

1. Steadfast, secure, solid (in position)

2. Fixed (in opinion)
   • He was firm that selling his company would a good choice and didn't let anyone talk him out of it.
3. Durable, rigid (material state)

   firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood; firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

firm (third-person singular simple present firms, present participle firming, simple past and past participle firmed)

1. (transitive) To make firm or strong; fix securely.
2. (transitive) To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.
3. (intransitive) To become firm; stabilise.
4. (intransitive) To improve after decline.
5. (intransitive, Australia) To shorten (of betting odds).
6. (transitive, Britain, slang) To select (a higher education institution) as one's preferred choice, so as to enrol automatically if one's grades match the conditional offer.

Translations

Further reading

• Firm in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• FRIM, fMRI, frim

German

Etymology

From Latin firmus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f??m/

Adjective

firm (comparative firmer, superlative am firmsten)

1. (somewhat dated) experienced, well versed

Declension

Further reading

• “firm” in Duden online

Polish

Noun

firm f

1. genitive plural of firma

Zoogocho Zapotec

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish firma.

Noun

firm

1. signature

Derived terms

• chgo?o firm
• cho?o firm

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish firme.

Adjective

firm

1. firm, fixed

References

• Long C., Rebecca; Cruz M., Sofronio (2000) Diccionario zapoteco de San Bartolomé Zoogocho, Oaxaca (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 38)?^[2] (in Spanish), second electronic edition, Coyoacán, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., pages 220

English

Etymology

From Old French institution, from Latin instit?ti?, from institu? (“to set up”), from in- (“in, on”) + statu? (“to set up, establish”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??nst??tju???n/, /??nst??t?u???n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??nst??tu???n/

Noun

institution (countable and uncountable, plural institutions)

1. A custom or practice of a society or community.

   The institution of marriage is present in many cultures but its details vary widely across them.

2. An organization similarly long established and respected, particularly one involved with education, public service, or charity work.

   The University of the South Pacific is the only internationally-accredited institution of higher education in Oceania.

3. The building or buildings which house such an organization.

   He's been in an institution since the crash.

4. (informal) Other places or businesses similarly long established and respected.

   Over time, the local pub has become something of an institution.

   • 2009 February 19, Gareth Lewis, Southern Daily Echo:

     "They have turned a great old English institution into a shameful clip-joint. It's a shuddering, howling tragedy."

5. (informal) A person similarly long established in a place, position, or field.

   She's not just any old scholar; she is an institution.

6. The act of instituting something.

   The institution of higher speed limits was a popular move but increased the severity of crashes.
7. (Christianity) The act by which a bishop commits a cure of souls to a priest.
8. (obsolete) That which institutes or instructs, particularly a textbook or system of elements or rules.

Synonyms

• establishment

Derived terms

• academic institution
• educational institution
• research institution

Related terms

• institute
• institutional
• institutionalism
• institutionalist

Translations

References

• institution at OneLook Dictionary Search
• institution in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• "institution" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 168.
• institution in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• institution in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Danish

Etymology

From Latin ?nstit?ti?.

Noun

institution c (singular definite institutionen, plural indefinite institutioner)

1. institution

Inflection

Derived terms

References

• “institution” in Den Danske Ordbog

French

Etymology

From Latin ?nstit?ti?.

Pronunciation

Noun

institution f (plural institutions)

1. institution

Further reading

• “institution” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Swedish

Etymology

From Latin ?nstit?ti?.

Noun

institution c

1. an institution (an established organization)
2. an institution (a habit)
3. an institution (a person)
4. a department (at a university)

   datavetenskapliga institutionen

   department of computer science

   institutionen för fysik

   department of physics

Declension

Related terms

• instituera
• institut
• institutionalisera
• institutionell
• kulturinstitution

Further reading

• institution in Svensk ordbok.