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).

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.

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.