demerit Hear it!

demerit definition

de·merit (dē mer′it, di-)

noun

  1. a quality deserving blame; fault; defect
  2. lack of merit
  3. ☆ a mark recorded against a student, trainee, etc. for poor conduct or work

Etymology: ME & OFr demerite < ML demeritum, fault < pp. of demerere, to forfeit, not merit, with meaning altered (de- taken in negative sense) < L, to merit < de-, intens. + merere, to deserve

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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