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Definitions

merit

[mer-it] / ˈmɛr ɪt /




Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for merit?
Merit can refer to a good or commendable quality, or someone or something’s worth or value. To say that someone earned something based on merit often means that they earned it based on excellence or performance. Relatedly, the word meritocracy is used to refer to a system (such as a workplace) in which people are thought to be rewarded or advanced based on merit, meaning their talent, ability, or accomplishments—as opposed to aspects of their identity, such as their class. A legal case judged on its merits is one judged on the facts and arguments alone, as opposed to one’s personal feelings, such as about the people involved. Merit can also be used as a verb meaning to deserve or be worthy of something, as in I think this merits a celebration! The word warrant has a similar meaning, but it’s more broadly used (merit is most commonly used in positive contexts).
How is merit different from advantage?
The words merit and advantage are sometimes used in similar ways, such as when discussing a good quality that something or someone has. This is especially the case when comparing things, as in Compared to the other candidates, his one merit/advantage is that he has more experience in the field. However, while advantage is usually used in the context of comparisons, merit can be used more broadly to discuss the qualities of someone or something, regardless of whether they’re being compared.
What is the opposite (antonym) of merit?
With its negating prefix de-, the word demerit suggests a direct opposite of merit, and indeed it can mean the opposite of a good or commendable quality—a fault or culpability. You could say that something has both merits and demerits (good and bad points, pros and cons), but demerit isn’t all that commonly used in this way. More generally, the word merit is often used in contrast to arbitrary or biased reasons for making decisions or judgments, as in His promotion wasn’t based on merit—he’s the boss’s nephew.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

From a business standpoint, analysts see merit to a potential combination, which Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday is currently under discussion.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

But if ever a day showed Australia there is merit in moving from one generation to another it was this.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

Does that mean the administration’s suit has merit?

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026

“Costs of defending against such litigation, regardless of merit, are considerable,” the prospectus says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

In another universe, the calculations I do to figure this out would be worthy of some academic merit.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Sorkin responded to criticisms with pleasant diplomacy, even questioning his own merits as a director versus a screenwriter.

From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026

My focus is not on the substantive merits of the charges, the government’s exercise of its prosecutorial discretion to pursue these charges, or the close-to-an-election timing of the initiation of the prosecution.

From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026

She works on programming art and installations at LAX that showcase the city’s vibrant arts scene, including its literary merits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

As the debate over their merits intensifies, the data centre rollout continues.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

The only reason they got involved in speed-dating is that they once had an argument at a party about the relative merits of arranged marriages and love marriages.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Although her books were hugely successful in America, she never really found the fame she merited here in the UK, partly because of her reticence to do any promotion.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

The referee used the video assistant referee to review the play and determined it merited a red card.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

In the early days, spreads are often wider than merited, and volatility levels are unusually elevated.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

This latter group included people with the good sense and courage to express disagreement with the president and urge caution when it was merited.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

Neither Orellana’s journey nor Carvajal’s account of it received the attention they merited; indeed, Carvajal’s work was not formally published until 1894.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

The book’s characters relate their stories in discrete sections that peel back time, revealing shocking secrets and meriting re-evaluation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

"They are accurate enough at this point to start meriting some consideration," he said.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2023

"The Court should not mistake the FTC’s litigation gamesmanship for an emergency meriting this Court’s deviation from the ordinary appellate process," the company wrote.

From Reuters ● Jul. 14, 2023

The coronavirus can mutate rapidly, potentially upending the public health landscape and meriting a different response.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2022

Rising out of these considerations are two others equally meriting attention.

From Old-Fashioned Ethics and Common-Sense Metaphysics With Some of Their Applications by William Thomas Thornton


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