meritorious
[ mer-i-tawr-ee-uh s, -tohr- ]
/ ˌmɛr ɪˈtɔr i əs, -ˈtoʊr- /
adjective
deserving praise, reward, esteem, etc.; praiseworthy: to receive a gift for meritorious service.
Nearby words
merited, meritless, meritocracy, meritocrat, meritocratic, meritorious, merits, meriç, merk, merkel, merkel's corpuscle
Origin of meritorious
Related forms
Can be confusedmeritorious meretricious
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for meritorious
British Dictionary definitions for meritorious
meritorious
/ (ˌmɛrɪˈtɔːrɪəs) /
adjective
praiseworthy; showing merit
Derived Formsmeritoriously, adverbmeritoriousness, noun
Word Origin for meritorious
C15: from Latin meritōrius earning money
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for meritorious
meritorious
early 15c., "deserving of divine grace," from Latin meritorius "that for which money is paid, that by which money is earned," from meritus, past participle of merere "to earn" (see merit (n.)). Related: Meritoriously; meritoriousness.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper