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Prepositions after verbs

Deem as or deem by?

Deem usually takes a direct object and complement, such as deem something necessary. Deem as appears in some contexts but is often avoided in formal writing. Deem by is not a standard combination.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct with deem?

Use deem with a direct object and complement: They deemed the plan successful. Deem as is also used by some speakers, especially before a noun phrase, but many style guides prefer no preposition. Deem by is not idiomatic as a verb-preposition pattern.

The court deemed the contract valid.
They deemed him as a leader.
The committee deemed the risk too high.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
deem + object + adjective

Giving a judgment or opinion

Use deem followed by an object and an adjective or descriptive phrase.

Experts deemed the measure ineffective.
2
deem + object + noun

Classifying someone or something

Use a noun after the object to say what someone or something is considered.

The agency deemed the site a safety hazard.
3
deem as + noun

Less formal alternative structure

Deem as appears in modern English, especially before nouns, but many writers prefer deem without as in formal contexts.

Some investors deemed the merger as a mistake.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
deem + object + complement
They deemed the proposal acceptable.
Standard and most common structure for judgments.
deem as + noun
The board deemed him as unsuitable.
Used by some speakers, but often edited to deem him unsuitable.
deem by
They deemed by the evidence that changes were needed.
Here by introduces evidence, not a fixed verb-preposition pattern.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using deem by as a fixed pattern

Deem does not normally take by directly after it.

✕ The panel deemed by the report the project unsafe. ✓ The panel deemed the project unsafe based on the report.

Adding unnecessary as

In formal writing, as is often omitted after deem.

✕ They deemed the policy as unfair. ✓ They deemed the policy unfair.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The judge deemed the evidence ___ admissible.
2. Which sentence is most standard?
3. In formal writing, many editors prefer ___

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Frequently asked questions

Is deem as incorrect?

Not always. It appears in modern English, but many formal editors prefer deem without as.

Can I say deem by?

Not as a normal verb-preposition combination. By may introduce other information, such as evidence or method.

What usually follows deem?

An object and a complement, such as an adjective or noun phrase.

dabble, in, dabble, with "damage to" or "damage by"? dance to, with, on, in or for? "dangle from" or "dangle in"? dare to, for, on, as or at? dash to, into, out, from or on? daydream about, for, in, of or on? "debate in", "debate on" or "debate with"? deceive by, in, into, on or about? "decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"? declare in, by, on, to or as? decline in, by, from, to or for?

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