Adjacent Words

Demerit definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DEMERIT, n. [ L. To earn or deserve.]
1. That which deserves punishment, the opposite of merit; an ill-deserving; that which is blamable or punishable in moral conduct; vice or crime.
2. Anciently, merit; desert; in a good sense.
DEMERIT, v.t. To deserve blame or punishment.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a mark against a person for misconduct or failure; usually given in school or armed forces; "ten demerits and he loses his privileges"
2: the quality of being inadequate or falling short of perfection; "they discussed the merits and demerits of her novel"; "he knew his own faults much better than she did" [syn: demerit, fault] [ant: merit, virtue]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French demerite, from Medieval Latin demeritum, from neuter of demeritus, past participle of demer?re to be undeserving of, from Latin, to earn, from de- + mer?re to merit Date: 15th century 1. obsolete offense 2. a. a quality that deserves blame or lacks merit ; fault, defect b. lack of merit 3. a mark usually entailing a loss of privilege given to an offender

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a quality or action deserving blame; a fault. 2 US a mark given to an offender. Derivatives: demeritorious adj. Etymology: ME f. OF de(s)merite or L demeritum neut. past part. of demereri deserve

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Demerit De*mer"it, n. [F. d['e]m['e]rite demerit (in sense 2), OF. demerite demerit (in sense 1), fr. L. demerere to deserve well, LL., to deserve well or ill; de- + merere to deserve. See De-, and Merit.] 1. That which one merits or deserves, either of good or ill; desert. [Obs.] By many benefits and demerits whereby they obliged their adherents, [they] acquired this reputation. --Holland. 2. That which deserves blame; ill desert; a fault; a vice; misconduct; -- the opposite of merit. They see no merit or demerit in any man or any action. --Burke. Secure, unless forfeited by any demerit or offense. --Sir W. Temple. 3. The state of one who deserves ill.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Demerit De*mer"it, v. t. [Cf. F. d['e]m['e]riter to deserve ill. See Demerit, n.] 1. To deserve; -- said in reference to both praise and blame. [Obs.] If I have demerited any love or thanks. --Udall. Executed as a traitor . . . as he well demerited. --State Trials (1645). 2. To depreciate or cry down. [R.] --Bp. Woolton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Demerit De*mer"it, v. i. To deserve praise or blame.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(demerits) The demerits of something or someone are their faults or disadvantages. (FORMAL) ...articles debating the merits and demerits of the three candidates. ? merit N-COUNT: usu pl, usu with poss

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Fault, delinquency, ill-desert.