méritées

Méritées is the feminine plural form of the past participle mérité, used as an adjective meaning deserved or earned. It agrees with the noun it modifies, for example in répertoires such as récom­penses méritées or carrières méritées. The form also appears in phrases like performances méritées or qualités méritées, when those nouns are feminine and plural.

Etymology and meaning: mérité comes from the Latin meritum, meaning reward or something deserved, itself from mereri, to earn. In French, mériter as a verb expresses the idea of earning approval, reward, or recognition. The feminine plural méritées marks agreement with feminine plural nouns, signaling that the referenced outcomes or attributes are considered deserved.

Usage and contexts: méritées appears mainly in evaluative or normative contexts, such as awards, promotions, or assessments of achievement. It is common in journalism, criticism, and policy discourse to describe rewards, opportunities, or recognitions that are deemed deserved. While often used in a positive sense, it can appear in neutral or even critical rhetoric depending on how merit is defined and measured.

Ethical and social considerations: the claim that something is mérité rests on criteria of merit that may be subjective or context-dependent. Debates about merit and méritées intersect with discussions of meritocracy, equality of opportunity, and fairness, given that access to the prerequisites for earning merit can vary across individuals and groups. Critics argue that merit-based judgments may reinforce social advantages or overlook structural factors.

See also: mérite, méritocratie, récompense méritée.