meritorious

What it means

1. Deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward.

   The policeman received the Award of Meritorious Service from his grateful department.

   1 more example

   Many factors were considered in recommending or granting an award of meritorious good time. Many, if not most, inmates at the Pontiac Correctional Center received meritorious good time in amounts ranging up to 90 days.

   1984, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Smith V. McGinnis, page 10

   Synonyms: commendable, deserving, meedful, praiseworthy, meritious · Antonyms: immeritorious

In a sentence

The policeman received the Award of Meritorious Service from his grateful department.

Where it comes from

1. Latinmeritōrius“earning money”
2. Middle Englishmeritorious
3. Englishmeritorious

From Middle English meritorious, borrowed between 1375 and 1425 from Latin meritōrius (“earning money”), from meritus, past participle of mereō (“to earn”).