demerit

noun

de·​mer·​it di-ˈmer-ət How to pronounce demerit (audio)
dē-,
-ˈme-rət
1
obsolete : offense
2
a
: a quality that deserves blame or lacks merit : fault, defect
b
: lack of merit
3
: a mark usually entailing a loss of privilege given to an offender

Examples of demerit in a Sentence

Students are given demerits if they arrive late for classes. my keyboarding has the advantage of speed but the demerit of inaccuracy
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s still a chance to turn this around on the demerits of this particular bill. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2025 My grade is an A-minus, the lone demerit from failing to reach a Super Bowl. Tim Graham, New York Times, 2 May 2025 The Stockyards Hotel located at 109 East Exchange Ave. had 35 demerits and scored 13 on a follow-up inspection, according to the report. Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Feb. 2025 Food establishments receiving more than 30 demerits have 48 hours to fix the worst problems and then clean up the rest. Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for demerit

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French demerite, from Medieval Latin demeritum, from neuter of demeritus, past participle of demerēre to be undeserving of, from Latin, to earn, from de- + merēre to merit

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of demerit was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demerit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demerit. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

demerit

noun
de·​mer·​it di-ˈmer-ət How to pronounce demerit (audio)
1
: a quality that deserves blame : fault
2
: a mark placed against a person's record for some fault or offense

More from Merriam-Webster on demerit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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