demerit
demerit Lexical Profile
demerit Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A mark or point awarded against a person for an offense, fault, or poor behavior, typically in a school, military, or traffic-licensing system.
"The cadet received three demerits for failing to keep his uniform in proper order."
A feature or quality that makes someone or something less acceptable, desirable, or effective; a fault or disadvantage.
"The committee carefully weighed the merits and demerits of the proposed transit expansion."
• verb
To assign a penalty mark against or lower the standing of someone or something.
"The judges decided to demerit the routine for exceeding the allotted time limit."
• Rhymes for demerit
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French demerite, from Medieval Latin demeritum, originally meaning 'that which is deserved' (from Latin de- used as an intensive prefix plus merere 'to earn'). Under the influence of the privative prefix de-, the word shifted in sense to become the direct opposite of 'merit'.