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
Shazeer and De Freitas were engineers at Google when executives deemed their chatbot prototype unsafe for public release.
—
Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
The team announced to reporters that he was deemed available to play in the matchup against the Sixers.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
The Miami Hurricanes skipped over Notre Dame to get into the Playoff while the James Madison Dukes and Tulane Green Wave were also deemed worthier of spots ahead of the Fighting Irish.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025
These trees are being cut from areas that forestry experts have deemed in need of thinning for health or fire-protection reasons.
—Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deem
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
The team announced to reporters that he was deemed available to play in the matchup against the Sixers.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
The Miami Hurricanes skipped over Notre Dame to get into the Playoff while the James Madison Dukes and Tulane Green Wave were also deemed worthier of spots ahead of the Fighting Irish.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025
These trees are being cut from areas that forestry experts have deemed in need of thinning for health or fire-protection reasons.
—Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 5 Dec. 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 8 Dec. 2025.
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