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

---

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• deeming
  present
• deemed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• deem
  simple
• deems
  simple
• have deemed
  perfect
• has deemed
  perfect
• am deeming
  progressive
• are deeming
  progressive
• is deeming
  progressive
• have been deeming
  perfect progressive
• has been deeming
  perfect progressive

Past

• deemed
  simple
• had deemed
  perfect
• was deeming
  progressive
• were deeming
  progressive
• had been deeming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will deem
  simple
• will have deemed
  perfect
• will be deeming
  progressive
• will have been deeming
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deem deems deemed deeming

Its current travel advice warns that it is illegal in Saudi Arabia to say anything publicly that the authorities "deem disruptive to public order".

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Proponents of the trend hold that advising patients to consider a cutoff from a close relative or spouse they deem toxic or unsupportive can protect their mental health and allow for emotional growth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The estate may not be divided equally among the children — or in ways they deem fair.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

Those who have yet to get their hands on the cakes, or deem them too pricey, have resorted to making them at home.

From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026

“Those ships will stay with us until I deem it safe to release them. Of course, Guilder could attack then, but that is a chance we must risk. Let me think if there’s anything else.”

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

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

He added the agreement allows Israel freedom of action to neutralize what it deems as immediate or even emerging threats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

Beijing on Monday also outlined broad countermeasures against foreign entities it deems harmful to Chinese interests or disruptive to Chinese investment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026

He pauses at the only fact he deems relevant: that this girl now left in his custody is, obviously, his own daughter and that her name is Celia.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

After last week's scenes, Spain has installed floating barriers between Ceuta and Morocco, which could "legally enable" returns at the border if they are deemed elements of containment, said the lawyers Benitez and Perez.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

Evercore ISI analyst Vinod Srinivasaraghavan wrote in a Thursday note that investors’ initial reaction seemed “a bit extreme,” since he deemed the results to be “solid.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Blair said shelters closed their doors because the facilities were deemed nonessential, and as a result, many animals were not spayed and neutered and many were left on the street.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Temperatures across Italy are soaring to levels deemed threatening to people's health and wellbeing.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

If you’d had a head start at home, you were rewarded for it at school, deemed “bright” or “gifted,” which in turn only compounded your confidence.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

The commission typically closely guards such documents, deeming them confidential and only for the eyes of its commissioners.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

The deadly Ebola outbreak raging in central Africa probably began several months ago, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, deeming the risk high in the region but low worldwide.

From Barron's ● May 20, 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

Construction on the ballroom has been stop-and-go since late March, when a federal judge halted progress after deeming it to be wildly illegal absent congressional approval.

From Slate ● Apr. 28, 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

Related Words

• allow
• assume
• believe
• expect
• feel
• presume
• suppose
• suspect