something that deserves or justifies a reward or commendation; a commendable quality, act, etc.: The book's only merit is its sincerity.
3.
merits, the inherent rights and wrongs of a matter, as a lawsuit, unobscured by procedural details, technicalities, personal feelings, etc.: The case will be decided on its merits alone.
4.
Often, merits.the state or fact of deserving; desert: to treat people according to their merits.
5.
Roman Catholic Church. worthiness of spiritual reward, acquired by righteous acts made under the influence of grace.
6.
Obsolete. something that is deserved, whether good or bad.
–verb (used with object)
7.
to be worthy of; deserve.
–verb (used without object)
8.
Chiefly Theology. to acquire merit.
–adjective
9.
based on merit: a merit raise of $25 a week.
[Origin: 1175–1225; ME < L meritum act worthy of praise (or blame), n. use of neut. of meritus, ptp. of merére to earn]
—Related forms
mer·it·ed·ly, adverb
mer·it·less, adjective
—Synonyms 1. value, credit. Merit,desert,worth refer to the quality in a person, action, or thing that entitles recognition, esp. favorable recognition. Merit is usually the excellence that entitles to praise: a person of great merit. Desert is the quality that entitles one to a just reward: according to her deserts. Worth is always used in a favorable sense and signifies inherent value or goodness: The worth of your contribution is incalculable.
v.
intr.
To be worthy or deserving: Pupils are rewarded or corrected, as they merit.
[Middle English, from Old French merite, reward or punishment, from Latin meritum, from neuter past participle of merēre, to deserve; see (s)mer-2 in Indo-European roots.]
c.1300, from O.Fr. merite, from L. meritum "desert, reward, merit," neut. of meritus, pp. of merere, meriri "to earn, deserve, acquire, gain," from PIE base *(s)mer- "to allot, assign" (cf. Gk. meros "part, lot," moira "share, fate," moros "fate, destiny, doom," Hittite mark "to divide" a sacrifice). The verb meaning "to be entitled to" is from 1526. L. meritare, freq. of mereri, meant "to earn (money), to serve as a soldier." Merit-monger was in common use 16c.-17c. in a sense roughly of "do-gooder." Meritocracy coined 1958 by Michael Young and used in title of his book, "The Rise of the Meritocracy."
any admirable quality or attribute; "work of great merit" [ant: demerit]
2.
the quality of being deserving (e.g., deserving assistance); "there were many children whose deservingness he recognized and rewarded" [syn: deservingness]
verb
1.
be worthy or deserving; "You deserve a promotion after all the hard work you have done" [syn: deserve]
De*mer"it\, n. [F. d['e]m['e]rite demerit (in sense 2), OF. demerite demerit (in sense 1), fr. L. demerere to deserve well, LL., to deserve well or ill; de- + merere to deserve. See De-, and Merit.]1. That which one merits or deserves, either of good or ill; desert. [Obs.] By many benefits and demerits whereby they obliged their adherents, [they] acquired this reputation. --Holland. 2. That which deserves blame; ill desert; a fault; a vice; misconduct; -- the opposite of merit. They see no merit or demerit in any man or any action. --Burke. Secure, unless forfeited by any demerit or offense. --Sir W. Temple. 3. The state of one who deserves ill.
De*mer"it\, n. [F. d['e]m['e]rite demerit (in sense 2), OF. demerite demerit (in sense 1), fr. L. demerere to deserve well, LL., to deserve well or ill; de- + merere to deserve. See De-, and Merit.]1. That which one merits or deserves, either of good or ill; desert. [Obs.] By many benefits and demerits whereby they obliged their adherents, [they] acquired this reputation. --Holland. 2. That which deserves blame; ill desert; a fault; a vice; misconduct; -- the opposite of merit. They see no merit or demerit in any man or any action. --Burke. Secure, unless forfeited by any demerit or offense. --Sir W. Temple. 3. The state of one who deserves ill.
Mar"ket\, n. [Akin to D. markt, OHG. mark[=a]t, merk[=a]t, G. markt; all fr.L. mercatus trade, market place, fr. mercari, p. p. mercatus, to trade, traffic, merx, mercis, ware, merchandise, prob. akin to merere to deserve, gain, acquire: cf. F. march['e]. See Merit, and cf. Merchant, Mart.]1. A meeting together of people, at a stated time and place, for the purpose of traffic (as in cattle, provisions, wares, etc.) by private purchase and sale, and not by auction; as, a market is held in the town every week. He is wit's peddler; and retails his wares At wakes, and wassails, meetings, markets, fairs. --Shak. Three women and a goose make a market. --Old Saying. 2. A public place (as an open space in a town) or a large building, where a market is held; a market place or market house; esp., a place where provisions are sold. There is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool. --John v. 2. 3. An opportunity for selling anything; demand, as shown by price offered or obtainable; a town, region, or country, where the demand exists; as, to find a market for one's wares; there is no market for woolen cloths in that region; India is a market for English goods. There is a third thing to be considered: how a market can be created for produce, or how production can be limited to the capacities of the market. --J. S. Mill. 4. Exchange, or purchase and sale; traffic; as, a dull market; a slow market. 5. The price for which a thing is sold in a market; market price. Hence: Value; worth. What is a man If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed ? --Shak. 6. (Eng. Law) The privelege granted to a town of having a public market. Note: Market is often used adjectively, or in forming compounds of obvious meaning; as, market basket, market day, market folk, market house, marketman, market place, market price, market rate, market wagon, market woman, and the like. Market beater, a swaggering bully; a noisy braggart. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Market bell, a bell rung to give notice that buying and selling in a market may begin. [Eng.] --Shak. Market cross, a cross set up where a market is held. --Shak. Market garden, a garden in which vegetables are raised for market. Market gardening, the raising of vegetables for market. Market place, an open square or place in a town where markets or public sales are held. Market town, a town that has the privilege of a stated public market.
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