merit-, meri-, mere-

1. A quality or characteristic deserving of blame or censure; a fault.
2. Absence of merit; the quality of being inadequate or falling short of perfection.
3. A mark made against a person's record for a fault or for misconduct: The soldier received a demerit for his failure to do his assignment as ordered.

A retired or honorably discharged woman from active professional duty, but retaining the title of her office or position: University women who retire from academic life may be given the rank of emerita or emeritae; although some institutions avoid using this Latin feminist form perhaps either because of ignorance about the gender difference or because they do not want to make a "sexist" distinction.

A reference to having been considered as having done sufficient public service, and therefore honorably discharged.

A reference to someone who is designated as an inactive professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, or other profession: An emeritus person describes anyone who is retired but who still holds an honorary title that corresponds to the position that he or she held prior to leaving a profession or occupation. © ALL rights are reserved.

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A person who has served his time in some profession: Mildred's uncle was a professor of the university and now he has retired and she is now attending the same academic institution.

The origin of this word comes from Roman military tradition with the meaning of "a soldier who has served his time honorably". Modern usage usually refers to a university officer who is rewarded for faithful service with the position, for example, professor emeritus.

The title of emeritus may allow the person so honored to continue to use the facilities of the institution and to attend ceremonies as an honored member of the academic community.

Translation: "Learning and benefit for all."

Motto of Isothermal Community College, Spindale, North Carolina, USA.

Want of worth; demerit.

Unmerited.

Undeserving.

1. Attracting attention in a vulgar manner.
2. Plausible but false or insincere; specious: "He had a meretricious argument."
3. Of or relating to prostitutes or prostitution: "They had meretricious relationships."

Believe it or not, but this word is related to the origins of merit; literally, "one who earns money" from Latin mereri, "to earn". The result is that the Latin meretricius (modern, meretricious) means "pertaining to harlots; someone who earns money by means of prostitution".

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.

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". © ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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Deserving of a reward or praise: Anita's art project was certainly meritable, having met all the qualifications needed and she was worthy of winning a scholarship to a famous school of art!

Properly deserved.

1. Having sufficient worth.
2. Having the quality of deserving praise, or having a good quality.