demerit

American  

[dih-mer-it] / dɪˈmɛr ɪt /

noun

1. a mark against a person for misconduct or deficiency.

   If you receive four demerits during a term, you will be expelled from school.

2. the quality of being censurable or punishable; fault; culpability.

3. Obsolete. merit or desert.

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demerit British  

/ diːˈmɛrɪt, ˈdiːˌmɛrɪt /

noun

1. something, esp conduct, that deserves censure

2. a mark given against a person for failure or misconduct, esp in schools or the armed forces

3. a fault or disadvantage

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Other Word Forms

• demeritorious adjective
• demeritoriously adverb

Etymology

Origin of demerit

1350–1400; Middle English (< Old French desmerite ) < Medieval Latin dēmeritum fault, noun use of neuter past participle of Latin dēmerēre to earn, win the favor of ( dē- taken in ML as privative, hence pejorative). See de-, merit

Example Sentences

The decision means the Melbourne Cricket Ground receives one demerit point.

From BBC

International Cricket Council referee Jeff Crowe is yet to deliver his assessment of the pitch, which if handed an "unsatisfactory" rating would see the venue slapped with a demerit point.

From Barron's

International Cricket Council referee Jeff Crowe is yet to deliver his assessment of the pitch, pondering whether to give it an "unsatisfactory" rating which would see the venue slapped with a demerit point.

From Barron's

If banks lent out the funds anyway, they would be subject to costly demerits from their overseers.

From The Wall Street Journal

In her judgment, Lady Hood stated: "This case is not a verdict, nor even an expression of opinion, on the merits or demerits of government policy as debated in the public arena."

From BBC