Word: deem (verb)

Associations

"Deem" means to think or judge something in a particular way. It is often used in formal or official situations when someone makes a decision or forms an opinion about something.

• Example 1: The judge deemed the evidence insufficient. (The judge decided the evidence was not enough.)
• Example 2: The company deemed his behavior unacceptable. (The company thought his behavior was not acceptable.)
• Example 3: The event was deemed a success by the organizers. (The organizers considered the event successful.)

Synonym: "consider"
Difference: "Deem" is more formal and often used in official or serious contexts, while "consider" is more common in everyday speech.

Substitution

You can replace "deem" with:

• consider (less formal)
• judge (more about forming an opinion)
• regard (formal, similar meaning) Changing the word can make the sentence sound more casual or more formal.

Deconstruction

"Deem" comes from Old English "dēman," which means "to judge or decide." It is a simple verb without prefixes or suffixes in modern use. The root is related to decision or judgment.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where you had to "deem" something important or not?
• How would using "consider" instead of "deem" change the tone of a sentence?
• Is "deem" more likely to be used in spoken or written English? Why?