'Merit' definitions:
Definition of 'merit'
(from WordNet)
noun
Any admirable quality or attribute; "work of great merit" [syn: merit, virtue] [ant: demerit, fault]
noun
The quality of being deserving (e.g., deserving assistance); "there were many children whose deservingness he recognized and rewarded" [syn: deservingness, merit, meritoriousness]
verb
Be worthy or deserving; "You deserve a promotion after all the hard work you have done" [syn: deserve, merit]
Definition of 'Merit'
From: GCIDE
- Merit \Mer"it\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Merited; p. pr. & vb. n. Meriting.] [F. m['e]riter, L. meritare, v. intens. fr. merere. See Merit, n.]
- 1. To earn by service or performance; to have a right to claim as reward; to deserve; sometimes, to deserve in a bad sense; as, to merit punishment. "This kindness merits thanks." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- 2. To reward. [R. & Obs.] --Chapman. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Merit'
From: GCIDE
- Merit \Mer"it\, n. [F. m['e]rite, L. meritum, fr. merere, mereri, to deserve, merit; prob. originally, to get a share; akin to Gr. ? part, ? fate, doom, ? to receive as one's portion. Cf. Market, Merchant, Mercer, Mercy.]
- 1. The quality or state of deserving well or ill; desert. [1913 Webster]
- Here may men see how sin hath his merit. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
- Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misthought For things that others do; and when we fall, We answer other's merits in our name. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Esp. in a good sense: The quality or state of deserving well; worth; excellence. [1913 Webster]
- Reputation is . . . oft got without merit, and lost without deserving. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known, And every author's merit, but his own. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
- 3. Reward deserved; any mark or token of excellence or approbation; as, his teacher gave him ten merits. [1913 Webster]
- Those laurel groves, the merits of thy youth. --Prior. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Merit'
From: GCIDE
- Merit \Mer"it\, v. i. To acquire desert; to gain value; to receive benefit; to profit. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'merit'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- accent,
- advantage,
- advantageousness,
- agreeableness,
- arete,
- assets,
- auspiciousness,
- award,
- be deserving,
- be entitled to,
- be worthy of,
- beneficialness,
- benevolence,
- benignity,
- caliber,
- class,
- cogency,
- comeuppance,
- concern,
- concernment,
- consequence,
- consequentiality,
- consideration,
- desert,
- deserts,
- deserve,
- deserving,
- due,
- due reward,
- dues,
- earn,
- emphasis,
- entitle,
- excellence,
- excellency,
- expedience,
- fairness,
- favorableness,
- fineness,
- first-rateness,
- good,
- goodliness,
- goodness,
- grace,
- healthiness,
- helpfulness,
- high order,
- high rank,
- import,
- importance,
- interest,
- just deserts,
- justify,
- kindness,
- mark,
- materiality,
- merits,
- moment,
- niceness,
- note,
- paramountcy,
- perfection,
- pleasantness,
- precedence,
- preeminence,
- primacy,
- priority,
- profitableness,
- quality,
- rate,
- recompense,
- repay,
- requite,
- reward,
- rewardingness,
- rights,
- self-importance,
- significance,
- skillfulness,
- soundness,
- stature,
- stress,
- strong point,
- superiority,
- supremacy,
- usefulness,
- validity,
- value,
- virtue,
- virtuousness,
- warrant,
- weight,
- wholeness,
- winnings,
- worth,
- worthiness