adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˌmɛɹɪˈtɔɹi.əs/
General-American:/ˌmɛɹɪˈtoʊɹi.əs/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌmɛɹɪˈtɔːɹɪ.əs/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɔːɹiəs
CMU ARPABET:M EH2 R AH0 T AO1 R IY0 AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The policeman received the Award of Meritorious Service from his grateful department.
From Middle English meritorious, borrowed between 1375 and 1425 from Latin meritōrius (“earning money”), from meritus, past participle of mereō (“to earn”).
Across languages
Translations
30 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
похвален
(pohvalen)
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Bulgarian:
заслужен
(zaslužen)
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Catalan:
meritori
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Dutch:
verdienstelijk
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Finnish:
ansiokas
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
French:
méritoire
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
French:
louable
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
German:
verdienstvoll
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Hungarian:
érdemes
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Hungarian:
érdemdús
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Hungarian:
dicséretes
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Italian:
meritorio
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Latin:
meritōrius
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Latin:
commendābilis
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Malayalam:
അർഹതയുള്ള
(aṟhatayuḷḷa)
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Polish:
chwalebny
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Portuguese:
meritório
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Russian:
похва́льный
(poxválʹnyj)
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Russian:
заслу́живающий награ́ды
(zaslúživajuščij)
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Spanish:
meritorio
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Spanish:
loable
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Spanish:
encomiable
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Spanish:
elogiable
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Spanish:
ensalzable
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Spanish:
benemérito
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Spanish:
plausible
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Swedish:
förtjänstfull
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Tagalog:
tampat
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Welsh:
haeddiannol
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
Welsh:
teilwng
— deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward
