merit Hear it!

merit Definition

merit (mer′it)

noun

  1. the state, fact, or quality of deserving well or, sometimes, ill; desert
  2. worth; value; excellence
  3. something deserving reward, praise, or gratitude
  4. a reward or honor given for superior qualities or conduct; mark, badge, etc. awarded for excellence
  5. intrinsic rightness or wrongness apart from formalities, emotional considerations, etc. to decide a case on its merits

Etymology: OFr merite < L meritum < meritus, pp. of merere, to deserve, earn, akin to mereri, to serve for hire < IE base *(s)mer-, to remember, care (hence provide for, allot a share to) > mourn, L memor, mora, Gr meros, a part, moira, lot, fate

transitive verb

to deserve; be worthy of

merit Related Forms

mer′·it·less adjective

merit Synonyms

merit

n.

  1. Worth

    credit, benefit, advantage; see quality 3, value 3.

  2. A creditable quality

    worthiness, excellence, honor; see character 2, virtue 1.

merit Synonyms

merit

v.

be worth, warrant, justify; see deserve.

merit Law Definition

n

  1. The substantive elements of a claim or defense.
  2. The validity of a claim or defense (as in “the defense of impossibility is without merit”).
on the merits
Description of adjudication of a matter on its substantive elements, not on procedural or technical grounds.

merit Usage Examples

Object

  • consideration: Two broad options merit further consideration, says Ofcom.
  • attention: There are a number of issues within ENT which merit more detailed attention.
  • inclusion: Q12: Which best practice topics merit inclusion in ' Marketwatch ' ?

Converse of object

  • assess: All sites are visited by the case officer in order to assess the merits of the proposals.
  • discuss: Much time and print is dedicated to discussing the relative merits of each method, but are we running before we can walk?
  • argue: None of the projects seem to argue the merits of this approach.
  • possess: Obviously, not all hedge schoolmaster lyrics possess equal merit as poetry.
  • weigh: Or weighing the merits of the coffee whitener used at McDonald's vs. that used at Burger King?
  • ponder: As the Nicaraguan conflict spread, Hondurans were left to ponder the merits of the deal the armed forces had brokered.

Adjective modifier

  • relative: Relative merits of how good the the uk register.
  • artistic: I think he should get a '10 ' for artistic merit.
  • intrinsic: Many fertile ideas reach this group, but there are others which for reason other than intrinsic merit, do not.
  • architectural: Adaptive re-use has in this case rescued a building of great historical and architectural merit from the brink of disaster.
  • literary: The term " literary " does not imply any literary merit.
  • respective: But the most heated discussion among Members of Parliament was not the respective merits of Michael Martin or Gwyneth Dunwoody.

Modifies a noun

  • indices: The effect of porosity on thermal shock resistance is also explored, and merit indices for thermal fatigue are derived.
  • badge: Ten Minutes, defying his gargoyle like exterior, came top of the class and won a gold merit badge.
  • award: This was replaced by a new concrete building, which won an architectural merit award.

Noun used with modifier

townscape: Nearly all the town is within designated conservation areas and many buildings are of townscape merit.

Preposition: of

simplicity: This certainly has the merit of simplicity in method and results.