deemed; deeming; deems
: to come to think or judge : consider
deemed it wise to go slow
those whom she deemed worthy
a movie deemed appropriate for all ages
: to have an opinion : believe
Did you know?
Originally, deem meant "to legally condemn." The word is still frequently used in contexts pertaining to the law but with the general meaning "to judge" or "to decide after inquiry and deliberation," as in "The act was deemed unlawful" or "The defendant is deemed to have agreed to the contract." Outside of the law, deem usually means simply "to consider."
Examples of deem in a Sentence
The principal will take whatever action she deems appropriate in this case.
I deem it fitting that we mark this solemn occasion with a day of prayer and thanksgiving.
Recent Examples on the Web
The United States Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities, also called the Church Committee, took hold in 1975 to investigate MKUltra and COINTELPRO, among other operations that were deemed intelligence abuses.
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Jessica Sager, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
The Parise-Suter buyout punishment can no longer be deemed a crutch.
—Michael Russo, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
These developments accompany an executive order that looks to convert a wider share of the civil service into at-will employees who can be more easily dismissed by the administration and replaced by people deemed more loyal to the president.
—Yong Kwon / Made By History, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
Each will continue in the judging to see which whiskies are deemed the World’s Best.
—Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deem
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Jessica Sager, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
The Parise-Suter buyout punishment can no longer be deemed a crutch.
—Michael Russo, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
These developments accompany an executive order that looks to convert a wider share of the civil service into at-will employees who can be more easily dismissed by the administration and replaced by people deemed more loyal to the president.
—Yong Kwon / Made By History, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
Each will continue in the judging to see which whiskies are deemed the World’s Best.
—Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deem
Cite this Entry
“Deem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deem. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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