{
    "term": "merit",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "the quality of being good and of deserving praise or reward",
            "sensetop": "without meriton merit",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a work of outstanding artistic merit"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The plan is entirely without merit.",
                    "contextForm": "without merit"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I want to get the job on merit.",
                    "contextForm": "on merit"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was awarded a certificate of merit for his piano playing."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Films are given a rating of one to five stars according to merit."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I can see no merit in excluding the child from school."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Prizes are awarded entirely on merit."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She proved her merit as a serious actress."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was elected on personal merit."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The winners are ranked in order of merit."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There is lots of merit to the idea."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There is some merit in his argument."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "worth",
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["considerable", "exceptional", "great"],
                "verb + merit": ["have", "argue", "assess"],
                "merit + noun": ["award", "badge", "pay"],
                "preposition": ["according to merit", "on merit", "merit in"],
                "phrases": ["no merit in something/​doing something", "order of merit"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a good feature that deserves praise or reward",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We will **consider each case on its (own) merits** *(= without considering any other issues, feelings, etc.)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They weighed up the **relative merits** of the four candidates."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I began to question the merits of these new technologies."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We need to assess the merits of both proposals before making our decision."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Whatever the artist's individual merits, he really can't compete with the great painters."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "strength",
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["considerable", "exceptional", "great"],
                "verb + merit": ["have", "argue", "assess"],
                "merit + noun": ["award", "badge", "pay"],
                "preposition": ["according to merit", "on merit", "merit in"],
                "phrases": ["no merit in something/​doing something", "order of merit"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "a grade in an exam or for a piece of work at school or university that is very good",
            "labels": "(British English)",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [],
            "topics": ["Education"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["considerable", "exceptional", "great"],
                "verb + merit": ["have", "argue", "assess"],
                "merit + noun": ["award", "badge", "pay"],
                "preposition": ["according to merit", "on merit", "merit in"],
                "phrases": ["no merit in something/​doing something", "order of merit"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "a special mark or award given as a reward for good behaviour at school",
            "labels": "(British English)",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Other schools already have merit systems in place that reward good behaviour and attitudes."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Education"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["considerable", "exceptional", "great"],
                "verb + merit": ["have", "argue", "assess"],
                "merit + noun": ["award", "badge", "pay"],
                "preposition": ["according to merit", "on merit", "merit in"],
                "phrases": ["no merit in something/​doing something", "order of merit"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈmerɪt/",
                "audio": "me/merit/merit__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈmerɪt/",
                "audio": "me/merit/merit__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English (originally in the sense ‘deserved reward or punishment’): via Old French from Latin meritum ‘due reward’, from mereri ‘earn, deserve’."
}