Meritorious
/ˌmɛrɪˈtɔːriəs/noun
Deserving reward, praise, or recognition because of good qualities or actions.
Did you know?Meritorious comes from Latin meritus, “earned, deserved,” from mereri, “to earn, deserve, gain,” a root that also gave English words tied to wages, reward, and even military merit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mer-
“to get a share, receive one’s due, or earn”
Latin
Latin
mereri
“to earn, deserve, gain, or merit”
Latin
Latin
meritorius
“deserving of reward or serviceable”
Old French
OF
meritoire
“deserving of merit or reward”
Middle English
English
meritorious
“deserving of reward, praise, or recognition”
Modern English
English
meritorious
“deserving praise or reward because of good qualities or actions”