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merit

mer·it
M m

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [mer-it]
    • /ˈmɛr ɪt/
    • /ˈmer.ɪt/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [mer-it]
    • /ˈmɛr ɪt/

Definitions of merit word

  • noun merit claim to respect and praise; excellence; worth. 1
  • noun merit something that deserves or justifies a reward or commendation; a commendable quality, act, etc.: The book's only merit is its sincerity. 1
  • noun merit 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. 1
  • noun merit Often, merits. the state or fact of deserving; desert: to treat people according to their merits. 1
  • noun merit Roman Catholic Church. worthiness of spiritual reward, acquired by righteous acts made under the influence of grace. 1
  • noun merit Obsolete. something that is deserved, whether good or bad. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of merit

First appearance:

before 1175
One of the 8% oldest English words
1175-1225; Middle English < Latin meritum act worthy of praise (or blame), noun use of neuter of meritus, past participle of merēre to earn

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Merit

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

merit popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

merit usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for merit

noun merit

  • dignity — bearing, conduct, or speech indicative of self-respect or appreciation of the formality or gravity of an occasion or situation.
  • talent — a special natural ability or aptitude: a talent for drawing.
  • integrity — adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
  • value — relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college education; the value of a queen in chess.
  • benefit — The benefit of something is the help that you get from it or the advantage that results from it.

verb merit

  • deserve — If you say that a person or thing deserves something, you mean that they should have it or receive it because of their actions or qualities.
  • warrant — authorization, sanction, or justification.
  • justify — to show (an act, claim, statement, etc.) to be just or right: The end does not always justify the means.
  • rate — the amount of a charge or payment with reference to some basis of calculation: a high rate of interest on loans.
  • incur — to come into or acquire (some consequence, usually undesirable or injurious): to incur a huge number of debts.

Antonyms for merit

noun merit

  • dishonor — lack or loss of honor; disgraceful or dishonest character or conduct.
  • disadvantage — absence or deprivation of advantage or equality.
  • worthless — without worth; of no use, importance, or value; good-for-nothing: a worthless person; a worthless contract.
  • disrespect — Lack of respect or courtesy.
  • demerit — The demerits of something or someone are their faults or disadvantages.

verb merit

  • go up — to move or proceed, especially to or from something: They're going by bus.
  • go broke — a simple past tense of break.
  • break one's word — to fail to keep one's promise
  • go bust — If a company goes bust, it loses so much money that it is forced to close down.

Top questions with merit

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See also

Matching words

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