What are the differences amongst these verbs: 'deem', 'regard', 'consider', 'judge'? Is ''deem'' considered to be an archaic word?. No, deem is not an archaic word. Deem means something has been considered and then a conclusion was made. For instance, "It was deemed appropriate for the employee to be suspended because of their bad attendance record." When I think of using the word "deem," it seems like it is always followed by the word "appropriate" in my mind. It was deemed appropriate for the lawyer to be found to be in contempt of court by the judge. The school's decision to expel the child for hitting other children even after being warned, was deemed to be an appropriate punishment. The word "regard" has different meanings. You can say, "I hold you in high regard." That means I really respect you and think highly of you. You can also use it to refer to something. "Regarding the problem we're having with your child who continues to hit other children, even after being warned, we're afraid we must expel your child." "The essay you wrote regarding politics in America was really well-written." Consider can be used in different ways, too. It can mean thinking about something. "I would never consider working for that company." "I'd like to consider your proposal before answering, so may I get back to you on Tuesday with my answer?" "Considering all that you have told me so far, I'm afraid I'm not interested in your business proposal." Another example would be "Ducks are considered to be a type of bird." Either example refers to how you think about something. "Judge" means you have made a conclusion about something. "He judged her based on her bad clothing without learning about her education." "I hate to make a judgment without all of the facts, but right now it seems like he is guilty." "Don't judge a book by it's cover." "Against my better judgment, I'm going to give you a second chance."

These words are essentially synonymous but they differ somewhat in relation to the scale of how one thinks about something. 'deem' is definitely not archaic. Some sample sentences easily found on the 'Net: She deemed it necessary to report the infraction to her superiors. (scale is personal ethics(?)) Jackson spoke, relating all he deemed pertinent. (scale is personal but not publicly stated) His experiment and conclusion can hardly be deemed scientific. (scale is what is "scientific"?) 'regard' implies examining or having examined something and reaching a conclusion about it. She regarded his suggestion as impractical. His opinion was held in high regard. (the implied scale is measuring against other people or one's own opinion.) 'consider' is about thinking about something but doesn't imply any value scale or any further action.. I will consider it. (whatever 'it' might be) He considered the situation. His considered opinion is that she was joking. (the evaluation process has concluded) The proposal was given consideration. (a derived form of the word 'consider') 'judge' relates to evaluation just like the other words but implicitly suggests the value scale. He judged the situation hopeless. (hopeless/not hopeless) He acted as judge, jury and hangman. (guilt/innocence) Related words/variations: judgement, pass judgment, adjudged, adjudicated