Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Merit
Mer′it
,Noun.
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
For things that others do; and when we fall,
We answer other's
merits
in our name. Shakespeare
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. Shakespeare
To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known,
And every author's
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
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Merited
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Meriting
.] 1.
To earn by service or performance; to have a right to claim as reward; to deserve; sometimes, to deserve in a bad sense;
“This kindness merits thanks.” as, to
. merit
punishmentShak.
2.
To reward.
[R. & Obs.]
Chapman.
Mer′it
,Verb.
I.
To acquire desert; to gain value; to receive benefit; to profit.
[Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.
Webster 1828 Edition
Merit
MER'IT
,Noun.
1.
Desert; goodness or excellence which entitles one to honor or regard; worth; any performance or worth which claims regard or compensation; applied to morals, to excellence in writing, or to valuable services of any kind. Thus we speak of the inability of men to obtain salvation by their own merits. We speak of the merits of an author; the merits of a soldier, &c.2.
Value; excellence; applied to things; as the merits of an essay or poem; the merits of a pointing; the merits of a heroic achievement.3.
Reward deserved; that which is earned or merited. Those laurel groves, the merits of thy youth.
MER'IT
,Verb.
T.
A man at best is incapable of meriting any thing from God.
1.
To deserve; to have a just title to. Fidelity merits and usually obtains confidence.2.
To deserve, in an ill sense; to have a just title to. Every violation of law merits punishment. Every sin merits God's displeasure.Definition 2024
Merit
merit
merit
English
Noun
merit (plural merits)
- Something deserving positive recognition.
- His reward for his merit was a check for $50.
- Something worthy of a high rating.
- (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought):
- A claim to commendation or reward.
- The quality of deserving reward.
- Shakespeare
- Reputation is […] oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.
- Alexander Pope
- To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known, / And every author's merit, but his own.
- Shakespeare
- Reward deserved; any mark or token of excellence or approbation.
- His teacher gave him ten merits.
- Prior
- those laurel groves, the merits of thy youth
- (obsolete) The quality or state of deserving either good or bad; desert.
- Shakespeare
- Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misthought / For things that others do; and when we fall, / We answer others' merits in our name.
- Shakespeare
Synonyms
Antonyms
Translations
something deserving recognition
something worthy of a high rating
|
Verb
merit (third-person singular simple present merits, present participle meriting, simple past and past participle merited)
- (transitive) To earn or to deserve.
- Her performance merited its wild applause.
- 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 5, in The Celebrity:
- Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited.
- (intransitive) To be worthy or deserving.
- They were punished as they merited.
- (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- (obsolete, rare) To reward.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Chapman to this entry?)
Derived terms
- merited
- meritorious
- meritous
- meritocracy
- meritocratic