demerit

[ dih-mer-it ]

noun

1. a mark against a person for misconduct or deficiency:

   If you receive four demerits during a term, you will be expelled from school.

2. the quality of being censurable or punishable; fault; culpability.
3. Obsolete. merit or desert.

demerit

/ diːˈmɛrɪt; ˈdiːˌmɛrɪt /

noun

1. something, esp conduct, that deserves censure
2. a mark given against a person for failure or misconduct, esp in schools or the armed forces
3. a fault or disadvantage

Derived Forms

• deˌmeriˈtorious, adjective
• deˌmeriˈtoriously, adverb

Other Words From

• de·mer·i·to·ri·ous [dih-mer-i-, tawr, -ee-, uh, s, -, tohr, -], adjective
• de·meri·tori·ous·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of demerit¹

1350–1400; Middle English (< Old French desmerite ) < Medieval Latin dēmeritum fault, noun use of neuter past participle of Latin dēmerēre to earn, win the favor of ( dē- taken in ML as privative, hence pejorative). See de-, merit

Word History and Origins

Origin of demerit¹

C14 (originally: worth, later specialized to mean: something worthy of blame): from Latin dēmerērī to deserve

Example Sentences

“We haven’t yet received a copy of the judgement. We will examine it on its merits and demerits and then decide whether to appeal or not,” he told me.

From BBC

Yet his job review has never included a bonus for a player being called up to the majors or a demerit when someone comes up short.

From Los Angeles Times

Whatever the demerits of Owen’s performance, it isn’t fatal to an enjoyable series; he gets the job done, and is particularly good in his scenes with Bossom, whose Teresa he regards with paternal annoyance.

From Los Angeles Times

“Enough of that, Miss Lumen. One demerit for not following instructions. I warned you about bringing them up.”

From Literature

“Since the distance between town and island is slight, we do not think the failure of the legislative plan to achieve literal contiguity a serious demerit,” the judges wrote in 1992.

From Seattle Times