demerit
/diːˈmɛrɪt/
noun
Origin
Latin
demereri — to deserve, to be worthy of
Overview
Meaning Now
- A fault or mark against a person's record, typically involving punishment or loss of status.
- A quality or characteristic that deserves blame or criticism; a disadvantage.
Literal older meaning
that which is undeserving (Latin: de- + meritum)
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
demerite
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term originated from the Latin 'demereri', which originally meant to 'earn or deserve' (either good or bad). Over time, the prefix 'de-' took on a pejorative sense in French and later English, leading to the current meaning focusing exclusively on blame or faults.
Evolution
- Latin
demeritum
“fault, offense”
- Middle French
demerite
“fault or blame”
- Late Middle English
demerite
“a fault or wrongdoing”
Introduced in the 15th century
- Early Modern English
demerit
“lack of merit; punishment for a fault”
Sense shift towards 'punishment' becomes common
Connections
Word parts
de-
prefix
away from, down (often intensifier or negative)
merit
root
worth, desert
Related across languages
French
démérite
demerit, fault
Spanish
demérito
demerit, lack of merit
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Related to demerit
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.