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]
Main Entry: mer·it Pronunciation: 'mer-&t Function: noun 1plural: the substance of a case apart from matters of jurisdiction,
procedure, or form <a ruling on the merits of the case> —see also judgment on the merits at JUDGMENT
1a 2: legal significance, standing, or worth <an argument without merit>
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.
Mer"chant\, n. [OE. marchant, OF. marcheant, F. marchand, fr. LL. mercatans, -antis, p. pr. of mercatare to negotiate, L. mercari to traffic, fr. merx, mercis, wares. See Market, Merit, and cf. Commerce.]1. One who traffics on a large scale, especially with foreign countries; a trafficker; a trader. Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad. --Shak. 2. A trading vessel; a merchantman. [Obs.] --Shak. 3. One who keeps a store or shop for the sale of goods; a shopkeeper. [U. S. & Scot.]
Mer"cy\, n.; pl. Mercies. [OE. merci, F. merci, L. merces, mercedis, hire, pay, reward, LL., equiv. to misericordia pity, mercy. L. merces is prob? akin to merere to deserve, acquire. See Merit, and cf. Amerce.]1. Forbearance to inflict harm under circumstances of provocation, when one has the power to inflict it; compassionate treatment of an offender or adversary; clemency. Examples of justice must be made for terror to some; examples of mercy for comfort to others. --Bacon. 2. Compassionate treatment of the unfortunate and helpless; sometimes, favor, beneficence. --Luke x. 37. 3. Disposition to exercise compassion or favor; pity; compassion; willingness to spare or to help. In whom mercy lacketh and is not founden. --Sir T. Elyot. 4. A blessing regarded as a manifestation of compassion or favor. The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. --2 Cor. i. 3. Mercy seat (Bib.), the golden cover or lid of the Ark of the Covenant. See Ark, 2. Sisters of Mercy (R. C. Ch.),a religious order founded in Dublin in the year 1827. Communities of the same name have since been established in various American cities. The duties of those belonging to the order are, to attend lying-in hospitals, to superintend the education of girls, and protect decent women out of employment, to visit prisoners and the sick, and to attend persons condemned to death. To be at the mercy of, to be wholly in the power of. Syn: See Grace.
Mer`e*tri"cious\, a. [L. meretricius, from meretrix, -icis, a prostitute, lit., one who earns money, i. e., by prostitution, fr. merere to earn, gain. See Merit.]1. Of or pertaining to prostitutes; having to do with harlots; lustful; as, meretricious traffic. 2. Resembling the arts of a harlot; alluring by false show; gaudily and deceitfully ornamental; tawdry; as, meretricious dress or ornaments. -- Mer`e*tri"cious*ly, adv. -- Mer`e*tri"cious*ness, n.
Mer"it\, n. [F. m['e]rite, L. meritum, fr. merere, mereri, to deserve, merit; prob. originally, to get a share; akin to Gr. ? part, ? fate, doom, ? to receive as one's portion. Cf. Market, Merchant, Mercer, Mercy.]1. The quality or state of deserving well or ill; desert. Here may men see how sin hath his merit. --Chaucer. Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misthought For things that others do; and when we fall, We answer other's merits in our name. --Shak. 2. Esp. in a good sense: The quality or state of deserving well; worth; excellence. Reputation is . . . oft got without merit, and lost without deserving. --Shak. To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known, And every author's merit, but his own. --Pope. 3. Reward deserved; any mark or token of excellence or approbation; as, his teacher gave him ten merits. Those laurel groves, the merits of thy youth. --Prior.
Mer"it\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Merited; p. pr. & vb. n. Meriting.] [F. m['e]riter, L. meritare, v. intens. fr. merere. See Merit, n.]1. To earn by service or performance; to have a right to claim as reward; to deserve; sometimes, to deserve in a bad sense; as, to merit punishment. "This kindness merits thanks." --Shak. 2. To reward. [R. & Obs.] --Chapman.
Mer"it\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Merited; p. pr. & vb. n. Meriting.] [F. m['e]riter, L. meritare, v. intens. fr. merere. See Merit, n.]1. To earn by service or performance; to have a right to claim as reward; to deserve; sometimes, to deserve in a bad sense; as, to merit punishment. "This kindness merits thanks." --Shak. 2. To reward. [R. & Obs.] --Chapman.
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [mer-it] Pronunciation Key 
