merits
Britishplural noun
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the actual and intrinsic rights and wrongs of an issue, esp in a law case, as distinct from extraneous matters and technicalities
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on the intrinsic qualities or virtues
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.
“The Hill” is rooted in autobiography, but I would encourage readers to avoid learning about the author until finishing the novel, as Ms. Clark intends it to fly or fall on its literary merits.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
I take each letter on its own merits.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
Musk on X said he would appeal the case as the "jury never actually ruled on the merits of the case" and that to "loot charities is incredibly destructive to charitable giving in America."
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
“Regardless of the possible merits of new transmission, routing it through the heart of California’s largest state park makes no sense,” said Brendan Cummings, conservation director with the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
“If Seabiscuit, or any other of my horses, can’t win on their merits, I’d retire from racing today.”
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
