Demerit (Noun)
Meaning 1
The quality of being inadequate or falling short of perfection; "they discussed the merits and demerits of her novel"; "he knew his own faults much better than she did".
Classification
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.
Examples
- The demerit of his proposal was that it was too expensive to implement.
- The committee weighed the merits and demerits of each candidate before making a decision.
- She knew her own demerits as a writer and was working to improve her skills.
- The demerit of the new policy was that it would disproportionately affect low-income families.
- He was aware of the demerit of his impulsive nature and was trying to be more thoughtful in his decision-making.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Meaning 2
A mark against a person for misconduct or failure; usually given in school or armed forces; "ten demerits and he loses his privileges".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The student received a demerit for talking back to the teacher during class.
- He accumulated five demerits for being late to formation every morning that week.
- The cadet was given a demerit for failing to polish his boots to the required standard.
- After receiving three demerits, the recruit was restricted to barracks for the weekend.
- The demerit system was used to track infractions and determine who would be eligible for privileges such as leave.