on its merits

Idioms

Also,. With regard only to the intrinsic quality of something or someone. For example, Who supports it doesn't matter; we have to consider the idea solely on its merits, or The agency doesn't care about her references but wants to hire candidates according to their merits. [Late 1800s]

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.

His valor is worth remembering on its merits, and the history is instructive about the threats now facing the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

A group of 63 parliamentarians petitioned the court, which said in a statement that the law was suspended pending a ruling on its merits.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

This decision was in a "category of its own", Sir James said, and the committee was right to consider the case on its merits.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2025

“The Governor will evaluate this bill on its merits should it reach his desk,” spokesperson Izzy Gardon wrote in an email.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2024

Unlikely to win the battle on its merits, Edison devoted considerable resources to trying to discredit AC in the realm of public relations: AC, he and his supporters asserted, was much more lethal than DC.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023