English · Word Candidate

merit

/ˈmɛɹɪt/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: merits · meriting · merited

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A claim to commendation or a reward.

Noun

[R]eputation is an idle and moſt falſe impoſition , oft got without merit and loſt without deſeruing.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

A mark or token of approbation or to recognize excellence.

Noun

For her good performance in the examination, her teacher gave her ten merits.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To deserve, to earn.

Verb

Her performance merited wild applause.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To be deserving or worthy.

Verb

They were punished as they merited.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “merit” mean?

A claim to commendation or a reward.

Is “merit” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.