merit system

American  

noun

1. a system or policy whereby people are promoted or rewarded on the basis of ability and achievement rather than because of seniority, quotas, patronage, or the like.

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merit system British  

noun

1. the system of employing and promoting civil servants solely on the basis of ability rather than patronage Compare spoils system

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Etymology

Origin of merit system

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

The restored merit system will apply to freshmen entering the school in the fall of 2023.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 23, 2022

Many years ago, the merit system would have required all applicants to also test well on a civil service exam, as was stipulated by the Pendleton Act.

From Textbooks • Jul. 28, 2021

“The merit system of making appointments is in its essence as democratic and American as the common school system itself,” Teddy Roosevelt remarked in 1901.

From New York Times • Oct. 26, 2019

It coordinates hiring, recruiting and performance policies across the government, oversees health insurance and benefits for millions of retirees and ensures that federal agencies protect employee rights under an apolitical merit system.

From Washington Post • May 21, 2019

Civil service reform in the late nineteenth century reduced patronage and corruption and introduced a merit system that allowed blacks to get a foot in the door.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly