deem
Americanverb (used without object)
-
deems,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deemed,
past participle, past
-
deeming
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
deems,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deemed,
past participle, past
-
deeming
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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deemsimple
-
deemssimple
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have deemedperfect
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has deemedperfect
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am deemingprogressive
-
are deemingprogressive
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is deemingprogressive
-
have been deemingperfect progressive
-
has been deemingperfect progressive
Past
-
deemedsimple
-
had deemedperfect
-
was deemingprogressive
-
were deemingprogressive
-
had been deemingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing deem
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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The Emancipation Proclamation (1862)
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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:
If the National Party wins enough seats to govern, Luxon's second term will focus on growing international trade while continuing to cut back on what the coalition deem unnecessary costs in government.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
History will deem Field a footnote, while Adelaide will be altogether forgotten.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 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
People perceived to look honest or trustworthy are more likely to receive job offers; those we deem shifty are shunted to the social sidelines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Thou shalt grant an annum of immunity to the beloved of those who accept your coming, and to anyone else you deem worthy.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Yet he remains frustrated with cadres he deems are not implementing his orders.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
The people he deems “weirdos” far outnumber those in his narrow category, presumably of non-weirdos, many times over.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
The Guardian deems it a "four-star return to the castle".
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
OpenAI is restricting the cyber capabilities of a new model it deems capable of pulling off automated cyberattacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
“Well, you have three weeks. It’s not long, but you can begin training. If the Assignment Board deems you fit, possibly your case will be reviewed.”
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Oh yeah, and the company was involved in technology so advanced it was deemed central to U.S. national security, subject to severe export restrictions, and as a result was being targeted by Chinese intelligence.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026
What might now be termed toxic masculinity was often deemed funny, seen by some as good old-fashioned male humour.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Wong called on Congress to pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, legislation approved later that year that authorized sanctions on officials deemed responsible for human-rights violations in Hong Kong.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Fines would increase tenfold to nearly US$800,000 a day for companies deemed non-compliant, with the ceiling on fines rising to over US$15.6 million.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Winter has begun to withdraw by the time my foot is deemed usable.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Musk unveiled a prototype for the Cybertruck in 2019 with high expectations, including deeming it superior to Ford’s top-selling F-150.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
City officials on Tuesday “red-tagged” seven of those homes in the Capistrano Bay District community, deeming them unsafe for residents, and two others were “yellow-tagged,” signifying some safety concerns, according to Dana Point officials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
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
"There's less supply at a time when consumers want devices and the memory guys are passing along huge price increases," Cook said, deeming the spike in prices a "hundred-year flood."
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
He took on big, monopolistic companies, deeming them “hurtful to the general welfare.”
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
