Demerit Definition

dĭ-mĕrĭt
demerits
noun
demerits
A quality deserving blame; fault; defect.
Webster's New World
Lack of merit.
Webster's New World
A mark made against one's record for a fault or for misconduct.
American Heritage
A mark recorded against a student, trainee, etc. for poor conduct or work.
Webster's New World
That which one merits or deserves, either of good or ill; desert.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
  • loss of credit
  • loss of points
  • bad mark
  • mark against one
  • fault
  • loss of distinction
Antonyms:
verb

(archaic) To deserve.

Wiktionary

To depreciate or cry down.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Demerit

Noun

Singular:
demerit
Plural:
demerits

Origin of Demerit

  • Middle English demerite offense from Old French desmerite from Latin dēmeritum from neuter past participle of dēmerēre to deserve dē- de- merēre to earn (s)mer-2 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old French desmerite (compare French démérite).

    From Wiktionary

Demerit Sentence Examples

  • From the sentiments of propriety and admiration we proceed to the sense of merit and demerit.

  • Every time you do something wrong, the animated driving instructor starts shouting at you and your demerit balance increases by one.

  • In the case of demerit there is a direct antipathy to the feelings of the misdoer, but the chief sentiment excited is sympathy with those injured by the misdeed.

  • Price further follows Butler in distinguishing the perception of merit and demerit in agents as another accompaniment of the perception of right and wrong in actions; the former being, however, only a peculiar species of the latter, since, to perceive merit in any one is to perceive that it is right to reward him.

  • Well, these board shorts look as if someone who did sat in on an SU meeting, took note of the preppy styles they were wearing and decided to re-fashion their clothing preferences in a way that would certainly warrant a demerit.

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Words Starting With

DDEDEM

Words Ending With

TITRIT

Unscrambles

demerit

Words Starting With D and Ending With T

Starts With D & Ends With TStarts With DE & Ends With TStarts With D & Ends With IT

Word Length

7 Letter Words7 Letter Words Starting With D7 Letter Words Ending With T