You searched for: “merit
emeritus, merit, meritorious
emeritus (i MER i tuhs) (adjective)
Relating to a person who is retired from a professional position; descriptive of someone who holds an equivalent rank or title to that held prior to retirement: The emeritus professor was invited back to the school to give a guest lecture.
merit (MER it) (noun)
Behavior or conduct deserving of positive recognition and honor: The professor's service on the committee was of the highest merit.
meritorious (mer" i TOR ee uhs, mer i TOHR ee uhs) (adjective)
Concerning behavior or actions that deserve esteem and honor: Jarvis received a medal in recognition of his meritorious contributions to helping handicapped people.

The emeritus professor really did merit the award she received for her meritorious contribution to the fund raising efforts of the university.

merit (s) (noun), merits (pl)
1. A superior quality or worth; excellence; to consider a proposal on its advantages: Shirley had a proposal of some merit; however, she had an ill-advised plan without merit.
2. A quality deserving praise or approval; virtue: Tom thought that the proposal to invest his money had some merits for a closer inspection.
3. A demonstrated ability or achievement: The promotions of the employees were based on merit alone.
4. A good or praiseworthy characteristic that someone or something has.
5. Christianity: Spiritual credit granted for spiritual worthiness achieved by doing good works.
6. In law: a party's strict legal rights, excluding jurisdictional, personal, or technical aspects.
This entry is located in the following unit: merit-, meri-, mere- (page 1)
merit (verb), merits; merited; meriting
1. To deserve, to be entitled to, to be worthy of consideration: Norma's supervisor thought that she merits a raise after her successful negotiations of big profits for her company.
2. To earn or acquire approval or disapproval as a result of a person's behavior: Some people feel the award to the politician wasn't merited.
3. Etymology: from Latin merere, "to deserve".
To earn praise for a good performance.
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This entry is located in the following unit: merit-, meri-, mere- (page 1)
(French: degree of merit or importance; diameter of a bullet, cannon-ball, etc.; instrument for measuring the thickness, width, or distance through the center of a tube)
(Latin: to deserve; to earn, to acquire, to gain; entitled to)