What does "demerit" mean?
Demerit: That which deserves blame; ill desert; a fault; a vice; misconduct; -- the opposite of Ant: 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.
Additional senses
- 2.The state of one who deserves ill.
- 3.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).
- 4.To depreciate or cry down. [R.] Bp. Woolton.
- 5.To deserve praise or blame.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00