Merit
Pronunciation
- enPR: mÄ•r'Ät, IPA: /ˈmÉ›.ɹɪt/
- Rhymes: -ɛɹɪt
Origin
From Middle English merite, from Old French merite, from Latin meritum ("that which one deserves, just deserts; service, kindness, benefit, fault, blame, demerit, grounds, reason, worth, value, importance"), neuter of meritus, past participle of mereÅ ("I deserve, earn, gain, get, acquire"), akin to Ancient Greek μÎÏος (meros, "a part, lot, fate, destiny").
Full definition of merit
Noun
merit
(plural merits)- Something deserving positive recognition.His reward for his merit was a check for $50.
- Something worthy of a high rating.
- A claim to commendation or reward.
- The quality of deserving reward.
- ShakespeareReputation is ... oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.
- Alexander PopeTo him the wit of Greece and Rome was known,
And every author's merit, but his own. - Reward deserved; any mark or token of excellence or approbation.His teacher gave him ten merits.
- Priorthose laurel groves, the merits of thy youth
- (obsolete) The quality or state of deserving either good or bad; desert.
- ShakespeareBe it known, that we, the greatest, are misthought
For things that others do; and when we fall,
We answer others' merits in our name.
Antonyms
Verb
- (transitive) To earn or to deserve.Her performance merited its wild applause.
- 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 5, Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited.
- (intransitive) To be worthy or deserving.
- (obsolete, rare) To reward.