merit

American  

[mer-it] / ˈmɛr ɪt /

noun

• merits
  plural

1. claim to respect and praise; excellence; worth.

   Synonyms:

   esteem, value

2. something that deserves or justifies a reward or commendation; a commendable quality, act, etc..

   The book's only merit is its sincerity.

3. merits, the inherent rights and wrongs of a matter, as a lawsuit, unobscured by procedural details, technicalities, personal feelings, etc..

   The case will be decided on its merits alone.

4. Often merits. the state or fact of deserving; desert.

   to treat people according to their merits.

5. Roman Catholic Church. worthiness of spiritual reward, acquired by righteous acts made under the influence of grace.

6. Obsolete. something that is deserved, whether good or bad.

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verb (used with object)

• merits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• merited,
  past participle,  past
• meriting
  present participle

1. to be worthy of; deserve.

verb (used without object)

• merits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• merited,
  past participle,  past
• meriting
  present participle

1. Chiefly Theology. to acquire merit.

adjective

1. based on merit.

   a merit raise of $25 a week.

merit British  

/ ˈmɛrɪt /

noun

1. worth or superior quality; excellence

   work of great merit

2. (often plural) a deserving or commendable quality or act

   judge him on his merits

3. Christianity spiritual credit granted or received for good works

4. the fact or state of deserving; desert

5. an obsolete word for reward

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verb

1. (tr) to be worthy of; deserve

   he merits promotion

merit Idioms  

1. see on its merits.

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Synonym Usage

See desert ³.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-merit
  noun
• overmerit
  verb
• premerit
  verb (used with object)
• half-merited
  adjective
• merited
  adjective
• meritless
  adjective
• unmerited
  adjective
• well-merited
  adjective
• meritedly
  adverb
• unmeritedly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• merits
  plural

Participles

• meriting
  present
• merited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• merit
  simple
• merits
  simple
• have merited
  perfect
• has merited
  perfect
• am meriting
  progressive
• are meriting
  progressive
• is meriting
  progressive
• have been meriting
  perfect progressive
• has been meriting
  perfect progressive

Past

• merited
  simple
• had merited
  perfect
• was meriting
  progressive
• were meriting
  progressive
• had been meriting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will merit
  simple
• will have merited
  perfect
• will be meriting
  progressive
• will have been meriting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of merit

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Latin meritum “act worthy of praise (or blame),” noun use of neuter of meritus, past participle of merēre “to earn”

Explanation

Merit means "worthiness or excellence." If you receive a certificate of merit in school, you are being recognized for doing a good job. As a verb, merit means "deserve." Your certificate might merit a prominent place on your bulletin board! You will often hear the phrases "merit-based promotion" and "merit-based pay," which come up when employees are pushing against a system in which time on the job — and not job performance — determines when workers are promoted and how much they are paid. Using the word merit suggests impartiality and objectivity — such as when you swear off a prejudiced approach to something and vow to "judge it on its merits."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

merit merits merited meriting

After the war, he was appointed an MBE for services to the community and received the Legion d'Honneur, France's highest order of merit.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Aimee said that she knew what she wanted to do creatively early in life, and she wanted to do it on her own merit and be taken seriously.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

While some films’ merit is debatable, it’s refreshing regardless that the conversations around what qualifies as an “awards movie” are in flux.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

“We believe these claims are without merit and we intend to defend against them,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

My lack of sleep did not merit my staying home from school.

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

Discuss the merits of a revocable living trust with your attorney.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

“The Government is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge” to the lower court’s ruling, the justices wrote.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026

Apple shares rose 3.6% to $326.57 after analyst Gene Munster, a co-founder of Deepwater Asset Management, said design merits of the new foldable iPhone Duo could generate higher-than-anticipated demand for the device.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

District Judge Ana Reyes blocked it nationwide while the case proceeded after finding that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on the merits.

From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026

I will do my best to bring you the facts of this case, and I know you will do your best to judge the merits of the case.

From "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

As a long-term shareholder in both companies, Norges Bank Investment Management said it understood the rationale for a combination and the proposal merited consideration.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The referee used the video assistant referee to review the play and determined it merited a red card.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

In the early days, spreads are often wider than merited, and volatility levels are unusually elevated.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

Sentencing, Sheriff Watson accepted Crampsie had a "lesser degree of culpability" but said her decision was "reckless" and it merited a jail sentence.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

Taken literally, this assertion seems implausible, and historians’ skepticism seems merited.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

The book’s characters relate their stories in discrete sections that peel back time, revealing shocking secrets and meriting re-evaluation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

"They are accurate enough at this point to start meriting some consideration," he said.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2023

“They are accurate enough at this point to start meriting some consideration,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2023

The crux of the case before the Stuttgart court is whether Mercedes-Benz knowingly deceived customers by controlling the purification of exhaust gas, thus meriting claims for damages.

From Reuters ● Jul. 12, 2022

Here they were detained until the governor became satisfied that they were guiltless of any offence meriting a longer confinement; when they were released & permitted to return to their beloved people.

From Chronicles of Border Warfare or, a History of the Settlement by the Whites, of North-Western Virginia, and of the Indian Wars and Massacres in that section of the Indian Wars and Massacres in that section of the State by Reuben Gold Thwaites

Related Words

• benefit
• dignity
• excellence
• integrity
• quality
• stature
• talent
• value
• virtue
• worthiness