merit
Americannoun
-
claim to respect and praise; excellence; worth.
-
something that deserves or justifies a reward or commendation; a commendable quality, act, etc..
The book's only merit is its sincerity.
-
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.
-
Often merits. the state or fact of deserving; desert.
to treat people according to their merits.
-
Roman Catholic Church. worthiness of spiritual reward, acquired by righteous acts made under the influence of grace.
-
Obsolete. something that is deserved, whether good or bad.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
adjective
noun
-
worth or superior quality; excellence
work of great merit
-
(often plural) a deserving or commendable quality or act
judge him on his merits
-
Christianity spiritual credit granted or received for good works
-
the fact or state of deserving; desert
-
an obsolete word for reward
verb
Related Words
See desert 3.
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing merit
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ungifted
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Chevron has seen its stock rise over 40% since April 2025, with analysts citing compelling investment merit.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
The New York Times has said libel action threatened against it by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over an article alleging sexual assaults against Palestinian detainees by Israeli security services is "without merit".
From BBC • May 15, 2026
Applications go first to peer experts, who evaluate scholarly merit.
From Slate • May 14, 2026
"Respectfully to the great state of Texas and Attorney General Paxton, this lawsuit lacks merit and is based on inaccurate and distorted information," a Netflix spokesperson told the news agency.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
Nothing in her life was sufficiently interesting or shameful to merit hiding; no one knew about the squirrel’s skull beneath her bed, but no one wanted to know.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
