# merited

/ˈmɛɹɪtɪd/ (US) · /mˈɛɹɪtɪd/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/merited
Updated: 2026-05-30

## Definition

deserving of something, like praise, a reward, or a punishment. You use this when someone has done something that makes them worthy of a specific result.

For teachers: deserving of a particular treatment, reward, or punishment. Often used in formal or academic contexts to justify a specific outcome based on prior actions.

## Examples

- The team's hard work merited a promotion.
- The judge ruled that the defendant's actions merited a harsher sentence than the standard guidelines suggested.
- While the initial proposal was met with skepticism, the subsequent data proved that the investment merited the risk taken by the board of directors.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.