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meritum

Meritum is a Latin noun meaning merit, desert, or what is deserved. It derives from the Latin verb mereri, “to deserve,” and in Latin denotes moral worth or deserved reward. In many languages, cognate terms appear as merit in English, mérite in French, and mérito or mérito in Spanish and Portuguese.

In ethical and philosophical contexts, meritum refers to the moral desert associated with an action or agent.

In Catholic theology, merita (plural) and the related discussions of merit of works are used in debates

In modern usage, meritum appears primarily in scholarly, liturgical, and historical texts. It remains a canonical

It
is
used
to
distinguish
earned
reward
from
mere
obligation
or
gratuitous
benefit,
and
to
discuss
what
is
due
to
someone
for
a
good
act,
virtue,
or
achievement.
The
related
concept
of
demerit
stands
in
opposition
to
merit.
on
grace
and
justification.
Concepts
such
as
meritum
de
congruo
(merit
by
congruence)
and
meritum
de
condigno
(merit
by
condign
merit)
describe
categories
of
merit
attributed
to
humans
in
relation
to
the
distribution
of
grace,
under
ethical
and
theological
considerations
of
divine
justice
and
generosity.
term
in
Latin
discourse
and
is
found
in
Latin
phrases
such
as
de
merito
and
meritus
in
certain
grammatical
contexts,
reflecting
its
role
as
a
formal
designation
of
deservedness
in
classical
and
religious
literature.