merited 1 of 2

adjective

as in deserved
being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong the punishment, although harsh, was entirely merited

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merited

2 of 2

verb

past tense of merit
as in earned
to be or make worthy of (as a reward or punishment) that selfless act of heroism merited a public ceremony to honor the young swimmer

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of merited
Verb
Elon Musk’s Starlink merited only a passing mention during the earnings call, but the IPO of Starlink parent SpaceX has only added to Musk’s vast fortune. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026 Joshua Patric Foster, 38, wept Friday in Paphos District Court as Judge Froso Christodoulidou ruled a prison term was not merited. — Menelaos Hadjicostis, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 In the pre-AI era, at least a dozen of those results could have merited any human mathematician a Fields Medal—math’s Nobel Prize. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2026 Burts-Parker said she was rattled and left with concerns on whether a serious incident had happened over the weekend that merited a sizable response from federal law enforcement. — Angie Orellana Hernandez, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2026 Several Fed officials have recently signaled that further rate hikes may be merited to keep inflation from becoming more entrenched. — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026 Even when examining a juror’s conduct is merited, Professor Braccia says, those legal procedural questions shouldn’t undermine the concept of juror independence. — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026 Some critics of the budget cuts argue that the bar may be high but merited, given what the museum has to offer Brussels in terms of art, direct and indirect employment, and revitalizing the surrounding, low-income neighborhood. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2026 But for other council members, the distinction speakers drew between synthetic and non-synthetic kratom products merited more information before making a final decision. — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merited
  1. deserved
  2. justified
Adjective
  • Carter Faith has an outside, but critically deserved, chance to join them.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The question is whether Google — a company with a deserved reputation for giving up when the going gets tough — has the commitment to see this through and turn things around.
    — Dominic Preston, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of deserved
Adjective
  • The Mississippi attorney general’s office said its review found the fatal shooting was a justified use of force.
    — Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Crump on Monday pointed out that authorities have yet to release video footage of the encounter to support the attorney general's finding that the shooting was a justified use of force.
    — SOPHIE BATES, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of justified

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Cite this Entry

“Merited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merited. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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