helm

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: a lever or wheel controlling the rudder of a ship for steering
broadly : the entire apparatus for steering a ship
b
: position of the helm with respect to the amidships position
turn the helm hard alee
2
: a position of control : head
a new dean is at the helm of the medical school

helm

2 of 4

verb (1)

helmed; helming; helms

transitive verb

1
: to direct (a ship) with a lever or wheel that controls the rudder : to direct (a ship) with or as if with a helm (see helm entry 1 sense 1a) : steer
helming a schooner
2
: direct, control
the director has helmed many action movies

helm

3 of 4

noun (2)

helm

4 of 4

verb (2)

helmed; helming; helms

transitive verb

: to cover or furnish with a helmet

Examples of helm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
These two entrepreneurial powerhouses, longtime friends, shared their transformative journeys to the helm of their brands with members of Howard’s Black Girl’s House chapter and students from diverse fields, all eager to forge their own paths. Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, 29 Feb. 2024 Their interests also inspired me to take a leap of faith and transition from the traditional food and retail industry to the helm of a food-tech company globally scaling an alternative to animal protein that comes from chickpeas. Liat Lachish Levy, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 With Gonzalez at the policy helm, the Biden administration has been praised for its recent support for Guatemala during its electoral crisis. Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2024 On March 5, 4th District voters will decide whom to put at the helm. Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024 The helm is much simpler than a conventional helm station on most boats, with push buttons that reveal different functions and data. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2023 However, the timing for JetBlue may be less than ideal given that the company’s new CEO, Joanna Geraghty, moved to the helm officially today. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2024 So Def’s helm and as president of Island’s Urban Music division for two years. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 7 Feb. 2024 Back at the slip, the combo of Mercury’s joystick control and electric bow thruster, plus exceptional all-round visibility from the helm, makes docking a breeze. Howard Walker, Robb Report, 18 Jan. 2024
Verb
Gosling will helm the April 13 show with country star Chris Stapleton returning for his third appearance and first since 2018. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Where to watch Carnival of Souls: Max 26 of 30 Black Sabbath (1963) Unlike Dead of Night, this 1963 anthology film was helmed entirely by one person: Black Sunday’s Mario Bava. Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 Shankman helmed Disney+’s 2022 sequel Disenchanted, with his previous titles including What Women Want (2019), Rock of Ages (2012) and Hairspray (2007). Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Nolan helmed Oppenheimer, which chronicled the creation of the first atomic bomb under the guidance of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Wes Ball, director of the Maze Runner trilogy and the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, will helm the movie, with Avi Arad and Miyamoto producing. Wes Davis, The Verge, 10 Mar. 2024 On Monday, Fried called Robert Dempster, who’s helmed the county party since 2021, to ask for his resignation. Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 In a slightly hilarious scheduling twist, seven days later, Later Days, a Mother Hips Experience brings its tribute act to Old Ironsides, helmed by original founding Hips bassist Isaac Parsons (8 p.m. March 29. Aaron Davis, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2024 Netflix executives are cautious in sharing too many details about their long-term plans for the company, now helmed by co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters. Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'helm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb (1)

Middle English helme, from Old English helma; akin to Old High German helmo tiller

Noun (2) and Verb (2)

Middle English, from Old English

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of helm was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near helm

Cite this Entry

“Helm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/helm. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

helm

1 of 2 noun

helm

2 of 2 noun
1
: a lever or wheel controlling the rudder of a ship
also : the steering equipment of a ship
2
: a position of control : head
at the helm of the business

More from Merriam-Webster on helm

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!