firmament

[ fur-muh-muhnt ]

noun

1. the vault of heaven; sky.

firmament

/ ˈfɜːməmənt; ˌfɜːməˈmɛntəl /

noun

1. the expanse of the sky; heavens

Derived Forms

• firmamental, adjective

Other Words From

• fir·ma·men·tal [fur-m, uh, -, men, -tl], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of firmament¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Late Latin firmāmentum sky, Latin: support, prop, stay, equivalent to firmā ( re ) to strengthen, support ( firm ² ) + -mentum -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of firmament¹

C13: from Late Latin firmāmentum sky (considered as fixed above the earth), from Latin: prop, support, from firmāre to make firm ¹

Example Sentences

Shirley MacLaine, a longtime star in the movie-world firmament, opens up her personal photo gallery to the world.

From Los Angeles Times

“Looking at nature without fungi is like trying to diagnose a disease without doing a blood test. Fungi are the firmament of life on Earth. They make systems ecosystems.”

From Salon

Seeing and hearing “Brat” was a vivid reminder of just how smart this record is, feverishly assessing her place in the pop firmament on “Sympathy Is a Knife,” owning up to the jealousies and insecurities of public femininity on “Girl, So Confusing.”

From Los Angeles Times

But in the wake of Carpenter’s hugely successful “Halloween,” Cunningham put together a bargain-basement team of mostly unknowns and directed 1980’s workmanlike “Friday the 13th,” as much in the firmament as any slasher.

From Los Angeles Times

With his long-standing journalistic pedigree and status in the BBC firmament, colleagues deferred to him and, editorially, he often got his way.

From BBC