Definition of: merit

(mer′it) noun
1. Often plural The quality or fact of deserving, especially of deserving well; desert: Does his merit justify the reward?
2. Worth or excellence; quality: A man of merit.
3. That which deserves esteem, praise, or reward; a commendable act or quality: the merit of silence.
4. plural The actual rights or wrongs of a matter considered exclusively of extraneous details or technicalities: to decide a case on its merits.
5. Reward, recompense, or, sometimes, punishment received or deserved; a token or award of excellence. See synonyms under WORTH.
—v.t. To earn as a reward or punishment; deserve. [<OF merite <L meritum <meritus, pp. of merere deserve]
—mer′it·ed adjective
—mer′it·ed·ly adverb