The meaning of MERITORIOUS is deserving of honor or esteem. How to use meritorious in a sentence. Did you know?

MERITORIOUS definition: deserving praise, reward, esteem, etc.; praiseworthy. See examples of meritorious used in a sentence.

This is the view that "the good life consists of excellent (meritorious or worthy) activity" (75).

If you describe something as meritorious, you approve of it for its good or worthwhile qualities.

meritorious (ˌmɛrɪˈtɔːrɪəs) adj praiseworthy; showing merit [C15: from Latin meritōrius earning money]

Definition of meritorious adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Sep 12, 2025 · Adjective meritorious (comparative more meritorious, superlative most meritorious) Deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward.

Meritorious definition: Deserving reward or praise; having merit.

mer•i•to•ri•ous /ˌmɛrɪˈtɔriəs/ adj. deserving praise; praiseworthy. mer•i•to•ri•ous•ly, adv. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026 mer•i•to•ri•ous (mer′i tôr′ ē əs, …

There are eight meanings listed in OED's entry for the word meritorious, three of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.