demerit

noun

de·​mer·​it di-ˈmer-ət 

dē-, 

-ˈme-rət

1

obsolete : offense

2

a

: a quality that deserves blame or lacks merit : fault, defect

b

: lack of merit

3

: a mark usually entailing a loss of privilege given to an offender

Synonyms of demerit

• weakness
• fault
• sin
• shortcoming
• failing
• deficiency

Examples of demerit in a Sentence

Students are given demerits if they arrive late for classes.

my keyboarding has the advantage of speed but the demerit of inaccuracy

Recent Examples on the Web

To discourage the consumption of demerit goods, governments often place heavy taxes on them and impose minimum age regulations on their use. —Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026

Restaurants with over 30 demerits are required to fix the worst issues immediately and remedy the rest within 48 hours. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Mar. 2026

The MacBook Neo’s most significant demerit is its connectivity suite. —Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026

That’s a demerit for journalists covering the Games, many of whom typically venture from sport to sport and venue to venue to report on the event’s full scope. —Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 16 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French demerite, from Medieval Latin demeritum, from neuter of demeritus, past participle of demerēre to be undeserving of, from Latin, to earn, from de- + merēre to merit

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for demerit

• inherit
• preterit
• buret
• carat
• ferret
• garret
• karat
• merit
• parrot
• disinherit

Kids Definition

demerit

noun

de·​mer·​it di-ˈmer-ət 

1

: a quality that deserves blame : fault

2

: a mark placed against a person's record for some fault or offense