fixed

American  

[fikst] / fɪkst /

adjective

1. fastened, attached, or placed so as to be firm and not readily movable; firmly implanted; stationary; rigid.

2. rendered stable or permanent, as color.

3. set or intent upon something; steadily directed.

   a fixed stare.

   Synonyms:

   firm, unvarying, steady, constant

4. definitely and permanently placed.

   a fixed buoy;

   a fixed line of defense.

5. not fluctuating or varying; definite.

   a fixed purpose.

6. supplied with or having enough of something necessary or wanted, as money.

7. coming each year on the same calendar date.

   Christmas is a fixed holiday, but Easter is not.

8. put in order.

9. Informal. arranged in advance privately or dishonestly.

   a fixed horse race.

10. Chemistry.

    1. (of an element) taken into a compound from its free state.

    2. nonvolatile, or not easily volatilized.

       a fixed oil.

11. Mathematics. (of a point) mapped to itself by a given function.

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fixed British  

/ fɪkst, ˈfɪksɪdlɪ /

adjective

1. attached or placed so as to be immovable

2. not subject to change; stable

   fixed prices

3. steadily directed

   a fixed expression

4. established as to relative position

   a fixed point

5. not fluctuating; always at the same time

   a fixed holiday

6. (of ideas, notions, etc) firmly maintained

7. (of an element) held in chemical combination

   fixed nitrogen

8. (of a substance) nonvolatile

9. arranged

10. astrology of, relating to, or belonging to the group consisting of the four signs of the zodiac Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, which are associated with stability Compare cardinal mutable

11. informal equipped or provided for, as with money, possessions, etc

12. informal illegally arranged

    a fixed trial

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Other Word Forms

• fixedly adverb
• fixedness noun
• semifixed adjective

Etymology

Origin of fixed

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; fix + -ed ²

Explanation

Something fixed is rigidly set or placed. A fixed point does not move, as in this quote: “She was his North Star, the fixed point round which his world turned” (from David Gemmell’s Fall of Kings). Anything described as fixed is unchangeable. A fixed rent can’t be raised by the landlord because it’s legally set at a certain amount. That’s handy if you have a fixed income –- one that stays the same every month no matter what. A fixed piece of wood is nailed to the wall. Fixed things are stable and constant. A fixed stare doesn’t look away. Fixed also means “mended” like if you fixed a broken chair before anyone sat.

Example Sentences

Once reliability testing is done, there will be another round of tests to ensure trains are integrated with fixed facilities such as elevators and stations, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

It added sites which were penalised but then fixed the issue could submit a request to Google to have the demotion reconsidered.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Equities revenue jumped 30% to $2.8 billion, while revenue for fixed income, currencies and commodities trading was up 2% to $3.5 billion.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Underused chip-production facilities have high fixed costs and can immediately weigh on the bottom line.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

“This is beautiful,” he said, but she had that same fixed look and only grunted.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• agreed
• certain
• defined
• definite
• definitive
• inflexible
• limited
• planned
• precise
• resolved
• restricted
• settled
• stated