terra firma

terra firma
 
[ter-uh fur-muh]

 
noun:firm or solid earth; dry land
 
Explanation

 
Terra firma refers to dry, solid land, as opposed to water or air. But it's often used as a metaphor for any stable foundation in a world that can feel fluid. Even daring explorers eventually find themselves longing for the safety of terra firma.

 
Example: The exhausted sailors were grateful to leave the boat and stand on terra firma.


American
British
Cultural
Etymology
Examples
Synonyms
terra firma
American 

[ter-uh fur-muh]
/ ;t;r ; ;f;r m; /
noun
firm or solid earth; dry land (as opposed to water or air).


terra firma
British 
/ ;f;;m; /
noun
the solid earth; firm ground

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

terra firma
Cultural 
Dry land, as opposed to the sea: “After our stormy voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, we were relieved to set foot on terra firma.” From Latin, meaning “firm (or solid) ground.”


Etymology
Origin of terra firma
Borrowed into English from Latin around 1595–1605

Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But the fear was that it would happen in space, when you’re 180 miles from terra firma and the nearest fire station.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2025

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That would only have been possible on terra firma, they say.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 30, 2024

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Thus began a protracted process of draining lakes and waterways to transform the glittering island city into a European-like capital planted on terra firma.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2024

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This is a miracle, a luxury of maritime technology that many of us who live at the edge of terra firma might, from daily familiarity, take for granted.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 12, 2024

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The contraption lay with its stomach on terra firma, heavy and sluggish and looking more like a wounded duck than like one of those newfangled airplanes they were starting to produce in the United States.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende