DictionaryAI

deem

SayDEEMUS/dim/UK/diːm/

Formsdeems, deeming, deemed

6 meanings of deem

Practice

  1. 1
    verb
    To consider someone or something to be a certain way, based on what you believe.

    The judges deem her performance the best of the night.

    We deemed the plan too risky to attempt.

    Similarconsider

    Note
  2. 2
    verbtransitive or intransitive
    To think or believe something after thinking it over carefully.

    I deem it best to leave early.

    They deemed it unlikely that the storm would reach the coast.

    Similarconsider, judge, think, believe

    Note
  3. 3
    verbobsoletetransitive
    To judge someone and decide their punishment.

    Similarjudge

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    verbobsoletetransitive
    To officially decide or order something by law.

    Similarjudge

    Note
  2. 5
    verbobsoletetransitive
    To carry out justice or apply the law.

    Local lords would deem justice in their own halls.

    The chieftain deemed the law among his people.

    Similarjudge

    Note
  3. 6
    nounobsolete
    A thought or belief about what is true.

    It was my deem that the harvest would fail that year.

    He shared his deem of the matter with the council.

    Note

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Origins

Meanings 1–5

From Old English dēman, meaning to decide or judge. It is related to the word 'doom'.

Meaning 6

From Middle English deme, which came from the verb.