DEMERIT, noun [ Latin To earn or deserve.] 1. That which deserves punishment, the opposite of merit; an ill-deserving; that which is blamable or punishable in moral conduct; vice or crime. 2. Anciently, merit; desert; in a good sense. DEMERIT, verb transitive To deserve blame or punishment.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI