Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

deem

American  
[deem] / dim /

verb (used without object)

  • deems,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • deemed,
    past participle,  past
  • deeming
    present participle
  1. to form or have an opinion; judge; think.

    He did not deem lightly of the issue.


verb (used with object)

  • deems,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • deemed,
    past participle,  past
  • deeming
    present participle
  1. to hold as an opinion; think; regard as.

    He deemed it wise to refuse the offer.

    Synonyms:
    believe, hold, consider
deem British  
/ diːm /

verb

  1. (tr) to judge or consider

    I do not deem him worthy of this honour

"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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of deem

First recorded before 900; Middle English demen, Old English dēman; cognate with Gothic dōmjan, Old High German tuomen; see doom

Explanation

To deem is a verb that means to view as or judge. Your parents or boss may deem something necessary that you don't, like coming home by midnight or working late. Deem comes from the Old English word, deman — meaning "act as a judge." If you deem something, you essentially become the judge of whether it has a characteristic. For example, if you deem your little sister's jokes to be too ridiculous to listen to, you will probably just walk away.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing deem

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.

See Examples For:

"The family are very interested to know what evidence was provided or what evidence wasn't provided by the prison service in order for the court to deem it not substantial," he said.

From BBC Sep. 17, 2026

But some experts say they could also be a statement on which pockets of the AI hardware sector investors deem resilient.

From MarketWatch Sep. 16, 2026

“They deem the offer to be in the best interest of the Company, its shareholders, employees and other stakeholders,” Delivery Hero said.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 2, 2026

The agency said that it alerted the appropriate Illinois law enforcement agency of its findings, and the Illinois agency did not deem it to be an actionable threat.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 27, 2026

Then when I deem that my education is complete I wish to start off being a fine lawyer like the one who defended the Scottsboro Boys.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Now, the group deems it the highlight of the day.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 13, 2026

"This is a message that Pyongyang is closely watching the upcoming drills and could stage a provocation if it deems one necessary."

From Barron's Aug. 11, 2026

Singapore has strict rules on public speech and what it deems as demonstrations, arguing that it is necessary to regulate them to protect social harmony.

From BBC Jul. 31, 2026

Cloud is another business Lapping deems ripe for disintermediation by China.

From MarketWatch Jul. 30, 2026

The term sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women, while gender refers to society’s constructed roles, expectations, behaviors, attitudes, and activities that it deems appropriate for men and women.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

In Carney’s first year in power, he set up an office to expedite the regulatory review of projects deemed to be in the national interest.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 21, 2026

She was deemed fit enough to enter her pleas.

From BBC Sep. 18, 2026

That decision was deemed a mistake from certain circles, given they are two of English football's most creative players.

From BBC Sep. 17, 2026

The company disclosed six new examples of misaligned behavior, all of which it said would have been deemed eligible for disclosure or investigation under the framework.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 16, 2026

This animal was deemed to have met the Department's criteria, and was therefore released this morning into its native habitat.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

District Judge Rita F. Lin of the Northern District of California said in her decision that the government had illegally retaliated against Anthropic, deeming it a supply-chain risk “for constitutionally protected expressive activities.”

From MarketWatch Aug. 28, 2026

He faces opposition in particular from UEFA, which on Thursday stood by its threat to boycott the World Cups, deeming the mere withdrawal of the controversial plan to be insufficient.

From Barron's Aug. 8, 2026

The three judges also found that the original judge had erred by not deeming Tickle's removal from the app based on Grover's "first visual review" of the profile picture as direct discrimination.

From BBC May 15, 2026

Raman and Pratt are right in deeming Bass the old guard of a beat-up city — but the old guard didn’t get there without knowing how to win.

From Los Angeles Times May 6, 2026

I watched the news unfold on TV with my mom: Trayvon, a black high school student, was walking home from a convenience store when a man named George Zimmerman began following him, deeming him suspicious.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training