Merit definition
Judging people according to their merits.
Pupils are rewarded or corrected, as they merit.
An example of merit is someone receiving an award for their charity work.
A store having the merit of being open late.
A proposal of some merit; an ill-advised plan without merit.
A trial on the merits.
To decide a case on its merits.
His teacher gave him ten merits.
Promotions based on merit alone.
Origin of merit
- Middle English from Old French merite reward or punishment from Latin meritum from neuter past participle of merēre to deserve (s)mer-2 in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Middle English merite, from Old French merite, from Latin meritum (“that which one deserves, just deserts; service, kindness, benefit, fault, blame, demerit, grounds, reason, worth, value, importance"), neuter of meritus, past participle of mereō (“I deserve, earn, gain, get, acquire"), akin to Ancient Greek μέρος (meros, “a part, lot, fate, destiny").
From Wiktionary