Merit

English Meaning

The quality or state of deserving well or ill; desert.

1. Superior quality or worth; excellence: a proposal of some merit; an ill-advised plan without merit.
2. A quality deserving praise or approval; virtue: a store having the merit of being open late.
3. Demonstrated ability or achievement: promotions based on merit alone.
4. An aspect of character or behavior deserving approval or disapproval. Often used in the plural: judging people according to their merits.
5. Christianity Spiritual credit granted for good works.
6. Law A party's strict legal rights, excluding jurisdictional, personal, or technical aspects.
7. The factual content of a matter, apart from emotional, contextual, or formal considerations.
8. To earn; deserve. See Synonyms at earn1.
9. To be worthy or deserving: Pupils are rewarded or corrected, as they merit.