the quality of being deserving (e.g., deserving assistance)
"there were many children whose deservingness he recognized and rewarded"
A claim to commendation or a reward.
"The student's dedication to community service earned her a scholarship based on merit."
In plain English: Merit is the quality of being good enough to deserve praise, respect, or an award based on what you have actually done rather than who you are.
"The proposal has merit because it could save money without disrupting our workflow."
To deserve, to earn.
"His years of hard work earned him a promotion he truly merited."
The word "merit" entered English through Middle English and Anglo-French as a borrowing of the Latin meritum, originally referring to moral worth or something deserving of a specific reward. Over time, its meaning in English narrowed from this broad concept of spiritual service and retribution to simply denote excellence or value based on one's actions.