Definitions: (1) worthy of notice because of superior qualities; (2) deserving fame or happiness as a reward for service; praiseworthy for exceptional action; (3) of intrinsic value
Derivation: Latin, “to earn, gain, or deserve”
Quotes:
• Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul. — Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English poet
• True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes. — Edward Frederick Lindley Wood (1881–1959) 1st Earl of Halifax