meritorious
adjective
mer·i·to·ri·ous
ˌmer-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-əs 
: deserving of honor or esteem
honored for her meritorious service to the company
meritoriously
adverb
meritoriousness
noun
Did you know?
People who demonstrate meritorious behavior certainly "earn" our respect, and you can use that fact to remember that meritorious comes from the Latin verb merēre, which means "to earn." Nowadays, the rewards earned for meritorious acts are likely to be of an immaterial nature: gratitude, admiration, praise, etc. But that wasn't always so. The history of meritorious recalls a reward more concrete in nature: money. In Latin, meritorious literally means "bringing in money."
Examples of meritorious in a Sentence
She was given an award for meritorious service.
worked all night with meritorious determination to get the project done on time
Recent Examples on the Web
Which among these is the most meritorious, and therefore worthy of the $525,000 grand prize?
—
IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2014
The award of meritorious service is given to those who have gone above and beyond in service to their school communities.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
In conclusion, time is running out for taxpayers to file meritorious claims, which include more than claims where eligibility is absolutely certain.
—Tom Cullinan, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Ralph Lauren is the first fashion designer ever to receive the honor, in recognition of his meritorious contributions as a designer, entrepreneur, business leader, and philanthropist.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meritorious
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IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2014
The award of meritorious service is given to those who have gone above and beyond in service to their school communities.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
In conclusion, time is running out for taxpayers to file meritorious claims, which include more than claims where eligibility is absolutely certain.
—Tom Cullinan, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Ralph Lauren is the first fashion designer ever to receive the honor, in recognition of his meritorious contributions as a designer, entrepreneur, business leader, and philanthropist.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meritorious
Cite this Entry
“Meritorious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meritorious. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
meritorious
adjective
mer·i·to·ri·ous
ˌmer-ə-ˈtōr-ē-əs
-ˈtȯr-
: deserving reward or honor : praiseworthy
meritoriously
adverb
meritoriousness
noun
Legal Definition
meritorious
adjective
mer·i·to·ri·ous
ˌmer-ə-ˈtōr-ē-əs
1
: deserving of honor or esteem
2
: having merit
a meritorious claim
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