meritorious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of meritorious
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin meritōrius “earning money, for hire, on hire,” from meritus, past participle of merēre, merērī “to receive one's share, be entitled to, deserve, merit.” See merit, -ory 1, -ous
Explanation
Anything that's deserving of praise or a reward could be described as meritorious. Meritorious things deserve a lot of merit, usually because they were very brave or noble in some way. If you saved a person from drowning, that's meritorious. Firefighters and doctors have meritorious careers because they're dedicated to helping people. Giving money to charity is meritorious. When something is meritorious, it deserves praise and thanks.
Vocabulary lists containing meritorious
Just Mercy
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Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
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"The Blessings of Liberty and Education" by Frederick Douglass
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Betzold received several awards during his tenure, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2024
Kerry Kachejian of Delray Beach, a West Point graduate who served in Iraq, arrived for his portrait session wearing three medals he was awarded during his service: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and Meritorious Service.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2023
Gen. Kanamine’s honors included the Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal and two awards of the Meritorious Service Medal.
From Washington Post • Mar. 6, 2023
His 1650 book, The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption, was denounced as heretical and became the first book banned in the New World.
From Slate • Oct. 31, 2022
Meritorious students, whose circumstances require it, are allowed, at the discretion of the Faculty, to be absent for thirteen weeks, including the winter vacation, for the purpose of teaching schools.
From Lands of the Slave and the Free Cuba, the United States, and Canada by Murray, Henry A.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
